Premier Moments
by Fearless by Past
Summary: The moments that matter between Felicity Pike and Jim Kirk. *Story on Hiatus due to author's Graduate School Responsibilities*
1. Her Father Sure Knew How to Pick 'em

Chapter 1: Her Father Sure Knew How to Pick 'em

Felicity anxiously stood by the window of her hotel suite. More often than not, Felicity's eyes shifted between the window and the digital clock posted to the wall. In big fat red numerals, the clock read 2300 hours for military brats. But, for civilians, it read as eleven o'clock at night. And, despite the time, the entrance of the hotel still lacked the presence of the one person Felicity wished to see. And, that person in particular was Felicity's father, Christopher Pike.

"Dad, where are you?" Felicity whispered as she stared out the window.

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, the room was surprisingly cold. The cold temperature of the room reminded her of all the times she waited for her father as a little girl. Being the daughter of someone who spent so much time off planet was not easy for Felicity growing up. Christopher Pike would be gone for months on end. Practically, missing the most essential moments of her life. But, at least, she was able to communicate with him through video calls and email. He hoped to compensate for all the time he missed by maintaining constant communications with her.

Christopher knew just as well that he would be missing the most essential moments of her life. He knew he would be missing important events like the loss of her first tooth, pivotal birth days, father-daughter dances or her first day of classes for the school year. He always made an effort to check on her no matter how far away he was in the galaxy. He would always check to see if she was doing well in school. He would always check to see if she had healthy relationships with her classmates. But, most importantly, he was always staying up to date on whether she had a boyfriend or not. Even though, he was thousands of light years away, he was always a concerned and protective father. He always made his daughter his first priority no matter the challenges both of them faced such as the passing of his late wife, Flora May Pike. It was many years ago in which tragedy struck the Pike family when Felicity's mother, Flora, had passed away. Flora's passing meant that Christopher Pike would be left alone to raise a ten year old girl all on his own. Life would be anything but easy for the both of them from then on out.

Now as Felicity stood in her hotel suite waiting for her father, she could not help but feel like a little girl again. It was a feeling she did not like.

"I'll be back home before ten," he said, but of course, it was past ten.

Tomorrow was an important day for both of them. Starfleet would be receiving a whole new batch of cadets. She could almost see it now, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the morning shuttles landing on the grass green lawn of Starfleet Academy. Only seconds later, the shuttles would be emptying out a sea of red uniforms on the same grass green. She would be seeing a lot of cadets and hopefully she would see her father too.

Thirty minutes had passed making it even more difficult for Felicity to stay awake. She now sat on the windowsill struggling to keep her eyes open. Eventually, the hotel door slid open causing Felicity to be alert and stand on her two feet.

She called out hoping it was her father, "Dad?"

"Felicity? What are you doing up?"

Felicity rolled her eyes. It was definitely her father. As he entered the room, he switched on the light of the suite's living room.

Felicity exited her bedroom rubbing her eyes to adjust to the light. She blinked several times taking in the image of her father wearing his black Starfleet uniform. She noticed that it contrasted with her red pajamas. She definitely felt like a little girl again.

Growing up, many people said she was the spitting image of her mother. Felicity's wavy brown locks and honey brown eyes gave no doubt to the fact that Felicity was Flora April Pike's daughter. But, in contrast, no one could deny that Felicity held her father's chin, nose and icy stare. Especially, as it was the same icy stare she was doing a perfect impression of right now.

"What do you mean what am _I_ doing up? I was waiting for _you!_ What took you so long?" She demanded to know. Felicity then began to pace back and forth in the center of the room. Typically, when Felicity was upset she'd pace back and forth. Her body was capable of working in sync with her emotions. "Don't you realize we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow? Weren't _you_ the one who said we had to be at the shuttles at oh- eight-hundred? We're not going to get our full 8 hours now! The least you can do is message me letting me know what you're up to. Seriously, I- "

Before she could continue to berate her father further, Christopher placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders stopping her from moving about the room. She wasn't facing him initially so he had to spin her around to face him.

He managed to look her straight in the eye. He was in the process of granting one of his famous looks of apology. His wrinkles took their familiar place on his forehead. It was a look he mastered by being a father for nineteen years.

"Felicity May Pike," replying first with her full name was the way he always managed to apologize to his daughter. "I'm sorry for arriving late. I didn't think you would be awake waiting for me. Forgive me?"

Felicity still held on to her father's cold stare. A good ten seconds had passed with Felicity contemplating whether she should immediately forgive him. She stood with her arms crossed glaring at him. No matter how much her father was capable of upsetting her. It was almost too easy for her to forgive him. "Fine," she said through practically closed lips.

"That's my girl," he replied with a half-smile. Christopher then released her from his hold and made his way to the sofa residing in the suite's living room. He began to remove his boots.

"So," Felicity started, she now stood adjacent to where her father sat on the sofa. "What kept you?"

"I had to break up a bar fight," he answered.

"Oh," Felicity replied, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear before inquiring further, "Please don't tell me it had anything to do with cadets."

Her father gave a slight frown, "Unfortunately, it had _everything_ to do with cadets."

Felicity groaned and shook her head in disapproval. _Stupid cadets,_ _one night in a rural Iowan town and all hell breaks loose. Why can't cadets keep it together for one night? And, since they can't keep it together, why do they have to drag a Starfleet captain into it?_ "Who did the fight involve? How many cadets?" Felicity probed.

"Four cadets versus one civilian."

"That's not fair," Felicity said. She could only imagine how that fight ended. The civilian probably had no choice but to bleed out all over the floor. It must have taken someone with guts to take on four guys at once…or just someone really stupid.

"Yeah, but that civilian did a number on them."

 _Well, that's interesting,_ Felicity thought. Maybe that civilian wasn't so stupid after all. "Did you get physically involved?" Felicity continued her line of questioning. "Or did you use your-animal whistle?"

Christopher narrowed his eyes at his daughter, "'Animal' whistle?"

"Yeah, you know…" Felicity proceeded to allow the thumb and middle finger of her dominant hand to touch underneath the tip of her tongue. She then pushed back her tongue, closing her lips tightly around her fingers and finally blowing as hard as she could. A loud whistle sound erupted from Felicity's lips. She had years to master her father's technique. It wasn't too difficult for Felicity to do considering how he used this technique to call attention to himself in the most distracting and conflicting situations.

"Hey! Keep it down!" cried a hotel guest from the other side of the wall.

"Sorry!" Felicity called out. She then looked back at her father with a look of embarrassment, " _That_ whistling sound."

Christopher chuckled at his daughter before continuing to speak, "Felicity if you really need to know I didn't get physically involved." He then moved to remove his datapad from his satchel.

"Then it must have been the whistle," she determined, causing Christopher to roll his eyes at her.

Felicity smiled. She had to admit she was glad to have her father back safe and sound, but she was still perplexed as to why he took so long getting home. His whistle technique was way too effective to not halt disturbances. So, nothing should have kept him longer than necessary. She noticed that her father was absorbed in his datapad. Absorption in his datapad meant that _someone_ or _something_ caught his attention, especially when that _someone_ or _something_ was a potential Starfleet recruit. She walked behind the sofa to peek over her father's shoulder.

On the datapad, she was able to see a mugshot of a man who had every intention of smiling promiscuously for the camera. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He was a pretty boy and he definitely knew it. In her school girl days, Felicity probably would have had her heart set on someone like him. But, she would have never acted on her feelings. She was too smart and focused on her studies to let boys distract her. And, yet, her intelligence could not deny the fact that she found herself drawn to the boy's blue gaze. Strangely, she felt that there was something hidden beneath his playful expression. He was hiding something. His expression was a farce. It was an act. Felicity sensed it. It was an expression that she shared.

"Felicity," her father's voice interrupted her thoughts, "I don't appreciate you reading over my shoulder," said her father giving her a disapproving expression.

"Sorry," she said leaning back away from her father. She hoped she hadn't been staring at the mugshot too long. The last thing she needed was for her father to think she was developing a crush on someone. However, she could not deny that she was curious about the boy in photo.

"I have to know, Dad," she spoke up. "What got you so interested in this…"she continued to read to find the boy's name, "this 'James-Tiberius- Kirk'?"

Her father's focus turned back to the photo, "I caught him drooling on the floor in the midst of that bar fight."

Felicity scoffed, "I'm guessing he was the civilian." A moment passed before Felicity realized what kind of person her father was recruiting. "Wait-you want a troublemaker to be a part of Starfleet?"

"Felicity," her father started. "You'd be surprised at how much he can do. Believe it or not, the kid is a genius…despite his repeat offenses."

"'Repeat offenses?!' Felicity said dumbfounded by what her father was saying. It seemed like her father was digging at the bottom of a barrel for cadets. She needed to talk some sense into him. "Dad, you should know better than anyone that a "genius slash misfit" is the worst type of cadet."

Her father laughed, "Maybe you're right. But, he has got potential. I just know it. He is hardheaded, a joker and he is no stranger to making mistakes. But, he needs someone to push him to be better."

 _I'm assuming that person is you_ , Felicity wanted to say, but kept it to herself. She didn't like the idea of her father having someone else to focus all his energy on and put all his faith into. She didn't want him to be disappointed again, especially after the last cadet he mentored. Christopher Pike was too good of a person, he was the one who _deserved_ better. There was so much she wanted to say to him about how wrong he was being, but knew that when her father made up his mind there was certainly no going back.

"Is Kirk going to be at the shuttle tomorrow?" she asked.

Her father was silent in response as if he was unsure of Kirk's future actions. "We'll see," he finally said.

Felicity recalled the words her father used to praise the boy. She tried to connect his words to the picture of the boy in front of her in an attempt to see if the word "genius" blended with the physical image. "Don't judge a book by its cover," she remembered that phrase from her schooldays. Looks were certainly misleading in this situation just like in any other. And, somehow, she found herself getting lost in the boy's azure gaze again.

Suddenly, the screen of her father's datapad went dark. "Well, it is time to turn in, honey," her father said. He got up on his two feet and placed his datapad back in his satchel, "We've got a big day ahead of us."

She placed her hands on her hips, "I feel like I should be telling you that."

He laughed at his daughter, "Good night, Felicity. Try to get some sleep." He then kissed the top of her forehead and exited to his bedroom.

While her father was making himself comfortable for bed, Felicity remained in the living room eyeing her father's satchel. On the one hand, Felicity needed to go to bed. But, on the other hand, like her father, she was curious about this boy named "James Tiberius Kirk." Multiple questions popped into her mind. Who was this boy? Why was he such a troublemaker? But, most importantly, why was it that she saw such a familiar look in his eyes?

She reached for her father's satchel pulling out his datapad. She quickly made her way to her bedroom closing the door behind her. Felicity sat comfortably underneath her sheets. The glow of the datapad shined brightly in the darkness of the bedroom. Immediately, she was greeted with the familiar face of James T. Kirk she had only just seen moments before and scrolled through his file.

From his mugshot, it was obvious the boy was a troublemaker. She didn't necessarily need the information on his repeat offenses which began when he was eleven years old. As it turns out, the offense that began it all was when he stole his step father's corvette, running it off the side of a cliff and into a quarry. According to his records, he was practically a drifter, he was in between jobs from being an Iowan farm boy, a hustler, and a regular in the local county jail. He was no stranger to being on the wrong side of the law. Even so, her father was right, the boy was a genius. His aptitude scores were off the charts. The boy had talent, no one could deny that. But, how could he let himself fall so far?

Felicity thought to herself for a moment, the name "Kirk" began to nag at her. _Why does it sound so familiar?_ She flipped through the files of Christopher's datapad in an attempt to refresh her memory. After a while, Felicity finally recalled her father's dissertation on the destruction of the ship known as the U.S.S. Kelvin. She pulled up her father's essay and scrolled through the pages reminding herself of the story regarding the Kelvin's destruction and the origin of the name "Kirk".

It was the year 2233 when the U.S.S. Kelvin met it's destruction after being attacked by an unidentified vessel captained by rogue Romulans in the midst of a lightning storm. Upon leaving the Kelvin to negotiate a ceasefire with the vessel, Captain Robau , the captain of the U.S.S. Kelvin, left his first officer George Kirk in command. It wasn't long before all hell broke loose as Captain Robau's vital signs went dead and a full on battle took place between the Kelvin and the rogue ship. In consequence, the Kelvin was crippled. The battle wounded the Kelvin so badly that it forced newly promoted first officer, George Kirk, to make the order to abandon ship. George Kirk was the captain of a Starfleet vessel for twelve minutes and he saved over eight hundred lives. However, George Kirk was unable to save his own life. He had no choice. The ship's autopilot was damaged meaning that George Kirk had to stay behind to manually captain the ship while his crew escaped. Most importantly, George Kirk was able to save his wife, Winona Kirk, and their newborn son, James Tiberius Kirk. George Kirk was a hero. And, that fact was undeniable.

Finally, Felicity was able to decipher the look that was hidden beneath James Tiberius Kirk's eyes. It was the look of sadness and loss. It was the look she and her father had when her mother died. Felicity could not even imagine what it must be like living without a father. And, she certainly couldn't imagine what it felt like to live knowing that your own father died on the day you were born. Felicity had a hard enough time as a young girl living without her father being home so many nights after the loss of her mother. Just moments ago, Felicity was worried about her father not making it back to the hotel room. She was scarred too by an absent parent just like Kirk. No wonder he was getting into bar fights and getting into trouble with the law. Not having a father, made all the difference. She looked back at the photo of the young man. Strangely, she began to feel that the boy in the photo was staring right at her. She turned off the datapad and returned it back to her father's satchel. She settled back in her bed once more. Felicity wondered whether she would be seeing James Tiberius Kirk tomorrow.

"Dad, you sure know how to pick 'em," she thought before shutting her eyelids for a much needed slumber.


	2. Next stop, San Francisco

Chapter 2: Next stop, San Francisco

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, I'm just-" a sudden yawn escaped Felicity's lips. "Tired." she finished with heavy exhalation.

The male cadet rubbed his wounded shoulder taking a good look at Felicity. "You look familiar…Do I know you?"

Felicity did her best to awaken herself from her sleepiness to answer the cadet's question. Despite her tired eyes and the constant sunshine, Felicity peered at the cadet who questioned her. She used her hand to further block the sun. From what she could gather, the cadet was six feet tall, Caucasian, and brown haired. She was also able to look at the hand that rubbed his wounded shoulder. The knuckles were bruised.

"No, I don't think so," said Felicity rubbing her eyelids.

"Are you sure? Cuz I think I would have been able to remember a girl like _you_ ," the cadet grinned and raised his eyebrows at her. Felicity wanted to roll her eyes at his lame pickup line, but, frankly, she was just too damn tired to even bother. As an alternative, she decided to politely brush him aside.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I think you have me confused for someone else," Felicity timidly replied. "Thank you, but I'm afraid I can't talk anymore," she then began to walk away from the cadet with the bruised knuckles. He looked on her with a confused expression. Felicity's instinct told her that the cadet was about to figure out that she was the daughter of a distinguished Starfleet officer. If someone began to recognize Felicity as Christopher Pike's daughter, she found it best to just walk away as quickly and politely as possible. It wasn't as if it was a secret identity. It was just the fact that she didn't like attracting so much attention to herself because of who her father was. Especially, when she was surrounded by Starfleet recruits. People tended to treat her differently when they found out. And, at this moment, she didn't feel like explaining her whole life story to someone who was trying to flirt with her.

At Riverside shipyard, the sky was clear, the sun was shining and the yard was busy with activity. Activity that stretched from the sights and sounds of construction tools, construction workers and Starfleet recruits. Felicity was at the shuttle at oh-eight-hundred just like she planned. It was exactly what she wanted, except she wasn't as peppy like she thought she would be.

For the most part, the phrase "bright and early" could only be halfheartedly applied to Felicity's mood. She was early, but she certainly wasn't bright. She really wanted to yell at her father again for returning home late. Unlike her, he was wide awake, lacking the bags that she had under her own eyes and the yawns that escaped her own mouth. Because of it, she glared at her father over breakfast this morning due to his unaffected state. She assumed his alertness had to do with his experience as a Starfleet Captain. A Captain who had to make due with whatever hours of sleep he could muster up on a Starship during the most chaotic of missions.

Felicity finally made her way up the steps of the rustic shuttle and into it's entryway. As she walked within, Felicity took notice of all the new recruits seated within various rows of the small ship. She was first greeted by Lieutenant Cortez of whom Felicity saluted and made a courteous nod to. Felicity made an effort to look around the ship to see James T. Kirk in the flesh. After several awkward glances into the faces of various recruits, she still hadn't seen the distinct blue eyes she saw in the mugshot from last night. A sense of disappointment washed over Felicity. She wasn't just disappointed because she wanted to see the "genius level-repeat offender" who masked his sadness behind his playful demeanor, but she was disappointed for her father as well. Felicity knew her father would be disappointed more than her. It was another person Christopher Pike was trying to save and it seemed as if James T. Kirk was on his way to let her father down.

Even though, she didn't see James T. Kirk, she saw three cadets that had obviously got themselves involved in a bar fight from the night before. The bruises on their faces said it all. She remembered what her father told her about the fight. It was four against one. And, that "one" in the fight was Kirk. Felicity had to admit, Kirk certainly did a number on them. _But, where was the fourth cadet?_ Suddenly, the male cadet with the bruised knuckles joined them. _Jim had to drool on the floor because of someone,_ Felicity surmised. She was suddenly very happy with herself that she walked away from that particular cadet.

It was getting closer to lift off and Felicity decided to find herself a seat in a corner near the cockpit. While she began to buckle herself in, she saw that her father was beginning to make his way towards her. She paused at working on the belt buckles and stood up to salute him, "Captain Pike," Felicity spoke with the proper dictation for military officers, but Christopher Pike was unprepared for the strange dictation.

"You know, Felicity, we're not at Starfleet yet, so you can still call me 'Dad'," he told his daughter.

If she had some way of communicating with her father nonverbally she would have told him, "I could do that, but then people would know I'm your daughter. Then they'll treat me differently because of it. Damn it, Dad! Haven't we talked about this before?"

For quite some time, Christopher and Felicity were in discussion on whether Felicity should change her last name on the enlistment roster to her mother's maiden name, Clark. If she changed her name on the roster she wouldn't have to deal with prying eyes and questions about her personal life whenever Felicity was roll called. Additionally, she wouldn't have to worry about cadets trying to be her "friend" just to win favor with her father. It was certainly something she needed to keep in mind since Starfleet cadets could be ambitious. And, after much discussion, both of them agreed that it would be best for her to change her last name to her mother's for a year at least.

Alternatively, Felicity carried on with her appropriate role as a cadet directing a Starfleet officer. "Yes, Captain Pike," she said again in an almost robotic tone, "but as we are technically on a Starfleet vessel and in the presence of military personnel, I feel that it is most appropriate I speak to you in this fashion." As she spoke she managed to hold back another yawn.

"Now, you sound like a Vulcan," said Christopher somewhat annoyed. "Would you prefer it if we spoke in private…Cadet Clark?" Now, it seemed like he was able to remember their past conversations on the use of her mother's maiden name.

Felicity looked around the shuttle again before speaking, she was making sure she wasn't attracting too much attention to herself, "Yes, I feel that would be most appropriate…Captain."

He rolled his eyes, "Follow me." Christopher led Felicity into the cockpit of the shuttle. Upon entering, Christopher politely asked the two pilots seated to excuse him and Felicity for the moment. As expected, they respected Christopher's wishes and allowed him and Felicity privacy.

Felicity spoke, ridding herself of her cadet dialect, "What is it, Dad? Any sign of Kirk?"

"No, I haven't seen Kirk, but I'm sure he'll turn up. "

Felicity wanted to shake her father out of his optimism, but, knew it was better for her to keep her thoughts to herself, "Then, what is it?"

"Well, since you were a bit cranky this morning over breakfast," said Christopher, slipping his hand into his uniform pocket. "I was unable to give you this, " Christopher retrieved a white envelope and handed it to Felicity.

"What's this?" she asked, examining the envelope.

"Open it and you'll see," he said holding back a smile.

Felicity tore her fingers into the parchment emptying it's contents into her hands. To her surprise, the envelope revealed a silver chain with a small heart-shaped ornamental case attached. Felicity noticed that a large flower was engraved on the silver. She remembered the jewelry from her childhood. She knew that the flower represented a daisy, her mother's favorite flower. As a toddler, she used to play with the necklace as it dangled from her mother's neck. She immediately turned the case on its side opening it with her fingers. It revealed a message engraved on either side of the locket's interior:

 _To: Flora_

 _Distance is just a test to see how far Love can Travel._

 _Love: Chris_

"Its…its…"Felicity stuttered as she gazed at the beautiful silver trinket.

"You're Mother's." Christopher finished proudly.

Christopher had given the locket to his late wife as a wedding present. Prior to leaving for Iowa, he had come across the locket as he was packing his belongings. For years, the locket had been collecting dust in a drawer in his San Francisco home. Christopher remembered fondly that as a child, Felicity adored the necklace her mother wore. She couldn't keep her little fingers off of it. Upon seeing the necklace in its ancient state, he had finally decided it was about time the locket be worn by a member of the Pike family once again. The locket was practically Felicity's anyway. He reached for the gift he gave his daughter and bestowed it on her neck. "Think of it as an Orientation Day present," he smiled and the corners of his eyes wrinkled.

Felicity clasped the necklace to her chest, showing a radiant smile. "Thank you, Dad, really thank you!" she embraced her father planting a kiss on his cheek. "I love it."

"Now, hurry up and get back to your seat Cadet Clark," Christopher winked at his daughter. "Captain's orders."

Felicity retained her radiant smile, "I will, Sir."

Christopher then returned back to his post at the entryway of the shuttle while Felicity returned to her seat situated near the cockpit. As Felicity sat, she cherished the ornamental case within her hands tracing the engraved daisy with her fingertips. It was like she had a piece of her mother with her.

It was getting closer to departure and the shuttle was filled with cadets. As the shuttle remained dormant, Felicity felt herself begin to drift off to sleep. She couldn't keep herself awake any longer. As she drifted off, she began to hear some loud bickering erupt between what sounded like Lieutenant Cortez and an unknown male cadet on the ship. From the sound of the male's voice, Felicity diagnosed that he was very emotional.

"I told you people, damn it. I don't need a doctor. I am a doctor, "said the male insistently. Felicity chuckled sleepily, _A 'Doctor' huh? No wonder._

"You need to get back to your seat." repeated Lieutenant Cortez more than once over the cadet. From what Felicity could hear, Cortez was getting more and more frustrated. The last thing Felicity would ever want to do is get Cortez mad. The unnamed male cadet didn't know what he was up against.

"I had one! In the bathroom! With no windows-"

"Please, Sir. Sit down-" Cortez said over him. However, the 'Doctor' didn't seem to back down. And, hence the two continued to argue.

Felicity was too sleepy to see what was going on and she was too sleepy to care. If any person could handle a disgruntled cadet it was Cortez. The voices began to grow fainter as she found herself drifting off further into the sleep she was deprived of.

Next stop, San Francisco.


	3. No choice but to follow

_Flora Pike walked quickly through the halls of Roddenberry Elementary school dressed in her green hospital scrubs and a bag in hand. The tall brunette was urgently making her way to her daughter's kindergarten classroom. Upon entering the room, Flora was immediately met by Felicity's elderly teacher, Mrs. Cooper, whose eye brows were knitted in a worried expression._

 _"Mrs. Pike, thank goodness you're here," said Felicity's teacher. "We're so sorry that we had to call you at the hospital for this, but she just won't come down."_

 _"It's completely all right," said Flora adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag. "Where is my daughter?"_

 _"This way," Mrs. Cooper directed Flora to follow her. "There was nothing out of the ordinary with her before lunch." Mrs. Cooper said. "Her behavior was perfectly fine. She was smiling and laughing. Then, after lunch, her mood changed." said Mrs. Cooper walking Flora outside to the school's playground. " She had a temper tantrum and threw bits of cookies all over the place. We reprimanded her for it and then..." Mrs. Cooper pointed to a long purple tube that doubled as a slide situated in the center of the playground connected to a jungle gym. "Felicity climbed to the top of the tube." Mrs. Cooper looked back at Flora. "She said she wouldn't come down unless we got her father and we can't do that…"_

 _"Because he is off planet," said Flora in complete understanding. "Say no more, Mrs. Cooper, I'll get her down."_

 _Flora walked over to tunnel slide noticing the mass of cookie crumbs that lied on the bottom of the structure. Flora wiped the crumbs away planting herself on the space and putting her upper body in the tunnel._

 _"Felicity? Honey? Can you please come down?" Flora spoke up into the tunnel hearing her own voice echo in the dark space. Flora received no response from her daughter. Flora spoke again. "Felicity, please come down," Flora pleaded in the darkness. Still, she garnered no response except for her own voice. Flora tried one more time._

 _"Felicity?"_

 _"I want, Daddy," Felicity's five year old voice echoed down._

 _"Honey," Flora said in disappointment. "You know, we can't get Daddy."_

 _"I don't care."_

 _"Please, Felicity?"_

 _"No."_

 _Flora emitted a long deep breath. Flora and her husband had already explained to their daughter the circumstances regarding her father's role in Starfleet. She should be able to understand their family's situation by now. Mrs. Cooper had said that Felicity was perfectly fine prior to lunch. Something must have changed during that time._ It must be something else _, Flora thought. She removed her bag from her shoulder placing it on the mulch covered ground. She then climbed the latter attached to the play set fitting herself into the cramped space of the tunnel. She crawled into the tunnel until she saw the familiar frame of her daughter of whom was curled in the fetal position against the tunnel wall._

 _"Felicity," Flora whispered to her daughter. "What's the matter, dear?"_

 _Felicity's voice was barely audible from her face being smothered between her knees. A muffled sound came out instead._

 _Flora leaned closer to her daughter. Positioning her left ear so she could hear what her daughter was saying. Luckily, Flora was able to translate Felicity's muffles into words._

 _"'Nothing'?" Flora repeated surprised to hear that word no matter how inaudible it was. "Come on, Felicity it is definitely not 'nothing'. Mrs. Cooper said you were fine before lunch. What happened?"_

 _Another couple of muffles erupted from Felicity's curled up frame in response._

 _"'Cookies'?" Flora heard from her daughter. "What do 'cookies' have to do with this?"_

 _Felicity picked her head up from her knees with a tear stained face, "They have everything to do with it," she sniffled and used her hand to wipe her eyes. "Marisol had better cookies than me."_

 _"So?" Flora asked, not understanding what the issue was._

 _"'So'?" Felicity said in frustration. "Brandon chose her cookies over mine. Now he doesn't want to be my boyfriend anymore. At lunch he saw Oreos and they were Marisol's. I had Chips' Ahoy.. He went over to Marisol and didn't come back to sit with me. He stayed with Marisol the whole time. After I went up to him and asked him why he didn't sit next to me he said it's cuz he doesn't like me anymore. He likes Marisol's Oreos. He said my cookies stunk. And, he's right…"_

 _"Oh…," Flora said softly. "I see…" This whole thing was about a_ boy _._

 _"Honey," Flora patted her daughter's head. "Its all right."_

 _"No," Felicity shook her head letting her pigtails swish back and forth, "No, its not all right." Felicity sniffled in between breaths. "No, boy likes me. No boy will ever like me."_

 _" Felicity," Flora said instantly. "That it is not true." Flora looked at her with empathy in her eyes. Flora remembered when she was a young girl and developed a crush on a boy for the first time. At that time in her life, if a boy didn't like her back it seemed like the end of the world. And, now, it was possible Felicity believed in that same thing._ Oh, to be five years old again, _reflected Flora_.

 _Flora opened her mouth to speak,"I couldn't tell you how many times I thought no one would love me. There were plenty of boys who chose other girls over me because of the-" Flora cleared her throat thinking of the appropriate description to use, "Treats they had." Flora then began to brush the tears off her daughter's cheek, "That was before I met your father of course."_

 _A calm exterior began to replace Felicity's distressed appearance. "When you met, Daddy?"_

 _"Yup," Flora said before an idea unexpectedly entered Flora's mind. Flora pulled her necklace out from underneath her collar. "If he didn't love me he wouldn't have given this to me. He certainly wouldn't have put a special message inside. Letting me know how much I matter to him."_

 _Felicity had seen the locket necklace many times. Since the first time she saw it, Felicity had decided that it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Well, next to her mother of course. But, she hadn't known that there was something hidden within. "What does it say?" Felicity asked._

 _Flora opened the locket and read aloud the lines engraved on the silver. "It says, 'Distance is just a test to see how far love can travel.' You're father gave it to me as a wedding present."_

 _"Wow," Felicity said in awe, eyes sparkling. "It's so pretty. Daddy must love you so much Mommy."_

 _"Yes," Flora gave a soft smile thinking of her loving husband. She hoped he was thinking of her too... wherever he was in the galaxy. . "Trust me, Felicity," Flora spoke affectionately. " You're going to find someone that'll love you like no one else. I promise you."_

 _Felicity looked at her mother with eyes full of hope, "You think so?"_

 _"Yes," Flora insisted. It may have taken her a while for Flora to find the love of her life, but it wasn't impossible. Flora could see the same thing happen for her daughter, although, it may take a while. "Now, honey," Flora whispered. "Why don't you slide on down and I'll take you home."_

 _Felicity nodded in agreement with her mother, but she hesitated in sliding down the slide._

 _"Well, go on," Flora advised her daughter playfully._

 _"I will, "Felicity smiled brightly."But, you need to be there to catch me, Mommy."_

 _Flora glanced at her daughter presenting a wide smile, "Of course, I'll be there to catch you, Felicity. I always will."_

Felicity instinctually clutched her locket after she was abruptly awoken by the uneasy landing of the shuttle. _Ever heard of a smooth landing?_ Felicity thought resentfully. It took a moment for Felicity to remember where she was after sleeping for quite some time. Once she looked down at her red uniform and noticed all the cadets who were filing out of the vehicle she finally remembered. Felicity quickly unbuckled her seat belt and rushed inside of the cockpit. The excitement she felt caused her to accidently bump into one of the pilots. She offered a quick apology before getting absorbed into the sight before her. Through the shuttle's windshield, she finally saw what she had been yearning to see for days. Finally, Felicity saw the tall buildings of Starfleet Academy. Finally, Felicity saw the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Finally, she saw the grass green lawn and the sea of red cadets upon the grass. Finally, Felicity was home.

"Remember," said her father as he stood in the entryway of the cockpit. Once again they had the cockpit all to themselves as the pilots filed out. "You still have to go through new student orientation, despite the fact, you've been on this campus hundreds of times."

"I know," Felicity said, continuing to stare at the sight in front of her.

"You also should have already synced all of your textbooks to your datapadd. If not, then be sure to do that when you get to your dorm room. The same with your schedule."

"I already have."

"If you have issues with anyone or anything. My office is always open and my communicator is always on. And, even though you have a place to stay on campus-"

"'You shouldn't hesitate to come back to the apartment,'" Felicity said, reciting her father's initial words of advice. Felicity smiled and walked over to Christopher. Felicity knew that was this was his way of secretly showing how much he wanted her back home. He was doting on her the way a father should when his child goes off to school. It was incredibly sweet. She reached for his hand gently squeezing it in reassurance. "I know, Captain Pike. I'll be all right."

"You're right," he said looking down at the floor as if he was trying to convince himself to not be so worried. In the past, he never had the opportunity to be there for his daughter on her first day of school. And, now he finally got the chance. Christopher felt both pride and sadness. The event was bittersweet. Now, he knew what Flora felt. "You will be," he then gave Felicity a faint smile.

"Now," he managed to say clearing his throat. "You can do sightseeing later. Go on and get to your orientation group. You're orientation leader is Cortez. I wouldn't wanna push her buttons any further today if I were you. She had trouble with a cadet this morning."

 _Speaking of troubling cadets_ …Felicity thought remembering the "Genius level-Repeat Offender" her father had faith in. "What about-" she started, before choosing to close her mouth.

Admittedly, there was a small part of her that wanted to bring up Kirk. But, she remembered that Kirk wasn't on the shuttle when she first got on. What if he never made it? Should she risk bringing it up and potentially rubbing salt in his wound?

"'What about'?" Christopher asked with a smile.

"Never mind," Felicity said holding back her tongue. Her father looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I should be going," she said awkwardly.

Her father nodded and watched as his daughter made her way out of the shuttle. When Felicity descended on the grass, more and more cadets began to arrive from their shuttles and make their way to their designated orientation groups. Even if Kirk was there, she couldn't see him if she wanted to. There were too many cadets. Within minutes, Felicity's orientation group began to make their way to their designated classroom. She looked around once more getting a glimpse of a cadet dressed in what looked like a black leather jacket.

 _Could it…_ Felicity thought.

"Cadet Clark, follow along," called out Lieutenant Cortez.

Felicity felt her ears burn red and turned herself forward. "Sorry, Ma'am." To her disappointment, Felicity had no choice but to follow.

*A/N

Dear Readers,

First off, thank you for following and reading my story. I really appreciate it.

Secondly, this week I just started school again so that means I'll be busy and will most likely be lacking in updates for the next three months. School is being very especially annoying for me this week as I am desperately trying to get my classes in order while school staff are choosing to not give me a break. So, I'm having a bit of a crisis of all things. But, I was lucky to write this chapter down when I could. I was able to get the first half done before break and the second during whatever time I could this week so there is probably a noticeable change in tone or writing style.

Thirdly, I also welcome criticism, feedback or any ideas you, my readers, have for this story. If this chapter isn't up to par I'm sorry, I have been emotionally worn out this week. None the less, thanks for reading, following and being interested in my writing.

Sincerely,

Fearless by Past


	4. Perfectly Imperfect

As Felicity walked back to her dorm, it wasn't too hard for her to hear the loud electronic music that blasted off in the distance. The loud sounds belonged to a party that stirred in one of the dorms across campus. That party, in particular, was _the_ Party of the Year. It was _the_ Party that marked the beginning of the new school year at Starfleet Academy. It was an event hosted and planned by upperclassmen. Every cadet on campus was invited especially the newly arrived cadets. They were the rookies who had just gotten a taste of Academy life. And, with _the_ Party of the Year, they could expect a three course meal of Academy life. Plus, first year cadets could expect a fast and friendly welcome accompanied with tons of alcohol and a night that was guaranteed by upperclassmen to be a night to remember.

But, of course, that was a lie. All party attendees would most likely not remember a thing from the night before as guaranteed by the alcohol. However, the event was nonetheless, an "unofficial" campus festivity. It had yet to be sponsored by The Academy. And, would most likely never ever be. Ever since Felicity was a little girl, the party was something that took part on the night of new student orientation every year. As a young girl, Felicity had asked her father several times about the nature of the event, but he'd always managed to brush off her question with a simple answer, "It's just cadets being cadets." Her father's answer only sufficed Felicity's question for a couple of years. However, when Felicity turned fourteen, she finally understood the nature of the event when her curiosity got the best of her. Her father was off-planet at the time when she finally garnered an opportunity to see what _the_ Party was all about. The opportunity required that Felicity climb a tree in order to see through one of the dormitory windows. She immediately regretted her decision as soon as she fell from the tree branch to land in the bushes at the foot of the tree. As a result, Felicity's curiosity earned her a twisted ankle and a couple of scrapes. But, before the fall, Felicity managed to see strobe lights, cadets becoming extremely intimate with one another in the crowded room while a couple of cadets vomited in trash cans attached to various corners of the room. So, now as a nineteen year old, she absolutely had no interest in attending the festivity across campus. Besides, why would she attend?

Felicity didn't want to spend her first night on campus drunk out of her mind. On top of that, the last thing Felicity wanted to do was be in the presence of intoxicated cadets. And, Felicity knew just as well that _the_ Party of the Year was really just an opportunity for cadets to sleep with one another. And, sex wasn't in the cards for Felicity. Frankly, Felicity felt that sex was something a little more special than just a one night stand and should be treated as such. At her core, Felicity was a romantic, although she would never admit it. So, when Felicity's roommate, Ariel, tried to convince her to come along and join the festivities, Felicity had to respectfully decline. Sure, maybe it would have given Felicity the chance to know her roommate better. But, Felicity concluded she'd have the whole semester to become familiar with her roommate. After all, it was a lot better than spending one night attempting to talk over loud music, cadets chugging beer and crude public displays of affection. Felicity could think of much better things to do. As a matter of fact, Felicity managed to do just that by choosing to go to the campus library.

To anyone else, the benefits of going to a college party outweighed the benefits that belonged to visiting a library. But, to Felicity, the bookshelves filled with tangible archaic items were much friendlier and pleasant to Felicity compared to the smell and wandering hands of drunk classmates. The calm and quiet atmosphere was also far superior to the noisy and cramped atmosphere of the crowded apartment of whatever senior was reckless enough to let others invade his or her apartment for the night. Additionally, after a full day of lectures on Starfleet Academic policies, she had grown tiresome of being around so many cadets. Especially since, none of them were James Tiberius Kirk.

Every face she looked into that day wasn't the one she wanted to see. It seemed as if she was bending over backwards for a misfit cadet who got into bar fights. She wasn't sure if he even made it to the shuttle. Yet, she still managed to care about whether he did or didn't make it. And, she wasn't sure why. All the signs said that Felicity should move on and not waste her time on someone like Kirk. A person who was far from perfect. And, even so, she still cared. The only person she could blame for her persistence in caring about Kirk was her father. Her father had faith in Kirk. And, somehow Felicity had managed to develop her own faith in James Tiberius Kirk as well. "I am my father's daughter after all," Felicity mumbled as she opened the book she borrowed from the library.

The time Felicity spent in the library passed significantly as she found herself lost in the book she plucked from the Ancient Civilizations section. For some reason, she had developed a keen interest in the Greek myths. Decidedly, Felicity picked up an edition of Edith Hamilton's _Mythology._ Although Hamilton was a twenty-first century writer, Felicity found that Hamilton had a straightforward way of commenting on the Greek Gods as well as the various tales of adventure and love that stemmed from Greek mythos. The Greek Gods, in particular, fascinated Felicity. They were very much far from perfect celestial beings. As a matter of fact, they were perfect in being imperfect. For instance, Zeus, the paramount and strongest God of them all, was a serial adulterer who fell in love with one woman after the next even though he was a married man. Still, in spite of his flaws, Zeus still remained in the hearts and minds of the ancient Greeks. Zeus' situation was not unlike what took place with other Greek celestials as the people still devoted themselves to them despite their flaws. But, maybe their devotion stemmed out of both fear and admiration. It wasn't hard for human beings to experience emotions that contradicted one another. Human beings even back then were complex. Felicity could only imagine how repulsed Vulcans would be by the Ancient Greeks. Vulcans would probably be more repulsed by humans back then compared to the humans of today. A funny thought suddenly crossed Felicity's mind. She snickered, if Zeus actually existed today something told her that he would have no trouble fitting in with the party that stirred across campus. He would also have no issue with finding a mortal woman to sleep with.

Without taking her eyes from her book, Felicity entered the code to enter her dorm room. "Lights," Felicity commanded as she entered her residence. Each dorm was designed to be a simple living space outfitted with two beds, two desks, two closets, two drawer cabinets and one bathroom. All of the dorms on campus were virtually the same. The on campus residencies only had the necessities to encourage studying. Essentially, the dorms were designed to mimic the quarters of a starship. The simplistic design of the dorm rooms, primarily served as a benefit since roommates didn't have to argue over ridiculous things such as what side of the room belonged to whom. Of course, there would most likely be other types of problems to occur between roommates. These problems included discussions over which roommate got to use the bathroom first in the morning or what the rules were about bringing guys back to the dorm. Luckily for Felicity, Ariel didn't seem too picky about anything. Ariel also didn't seem like the promiscuous type.

Then again, Felicity didn't know much about Ariel. All Felicity knew about her roommate was the information revealed through Ariel's student profile. The last time Felicity checked Ariel's profile, it didn't reveal anything about her personality or her sex habits. Felicity began to regret not going to the party with Ariel. Maybe it _was_ the perfect opportunity to get to know Ariel better. As Felicity crossed the threshold, she heard the shower running inside of the bathroom. _Ariel must be back_ , Felicity inferred, maintaining focus on her book as she walked slowly into the room.

As it turned out, the Greeks had gone to great lengths to make the Gods in their own human image. Since that was the case, Felicity realized, it was quite obvious as to why a majority of the Olympians were physically perfect such as Apollo, the God of Light. When Felicity came across Hamilton's description of Apollo, Felicity was greeted by a photograph of a marble sculpture of Apollo waited on hand and foot by six marble nymphs. Apollo sat comfortably with a naked torso and his waist just barely covered with a loincloth. The sculptor spared no expense in detailing Apollo's lean muscular physique. Even Felicity had to admit, the marble statue did justice to Apollo's Godlike appearance. If Apollo was real, the girls would certainly fawn over him. _Maybe even I would become caught in his spell_ , Felicity thought momentarily before her foot got caught in something that lied on the floor. The unknown object forced Felicity to remove her gaze from the book as she frustratingly turned her gaze to the carpet in order to investigate what it was that caused her to trip.

Looking behind her, she saw various pieces of clothing scattered on the carpet. From one glance at the spattered bits of clothing, Felicity already knew the clothing did not belong to her. The see through bra and panties especially did not belong to Felicity. Logically, the clothing could only belong to one other person...Ariel! When Felicity looked at her roommate's bed, Felicity saw that it was drastically unmade. The sheets and pillows were unusually misplaced. Felicity knitted her eyebrows together, _Please don't let this be what I think it looks like._

Felicity didn't want to look around the room any further and closed her eyes to pray, _Please God… don't let this be what I think it is._ When Felicity opened her eyes again, she received an answer to her prayer. But, it wasn't the answer she wanted because Felicity's answer came in the form of boxer briefs that lied in front of her bed. _And_ , those _are definitely_ not _mine!_

Felicity quickly realized she needed to have a long talk with Ariel regarding bringing guys back to the room. That was certainly a conversation both of them needed to have. Promptly, Felicity's ears perked up to the sound of the shower turning off. To Felicity's relief, it seemed that Ariel was almost done in the bathroom. As Felicity waited for Ariel to get out of the bathroom, Felicity caught a glimpse of a black object from the corner of her eye. Felicity turned to her bed and saw what looked to be a black leather jacket strewn across it. She walked over to her bed and picked up the leather grasping it within her fingers. Felicity tilted her head forward. The leather was suspiciously familiar.

In a moment's time, the bathroom door slid open. "Ariel," Felicity said, still focused on the jacket that lied in her hands. "We really need to establish some ground rules on bringing guys back to the dorm."

"Well," said a voice that certainly did not belong to Felicity's roommate. "I hope you two can have that conversation until after I'm gone."

Jolted by whomever had exited her bathroom, Felicity quickly turned around to face the stranger. Surprisingly, Felicity was now face to face with the real life counterpart of the mugshot she had seen the night before. However, unexpectedly, Felicity was seeing _more_ of the blue eyed genius repeat offender she had ever expected to see. Felicity felt her cheeks turn red in embarrassment. From where she stood, Felicity payed witness to his lean naked chest and toned stomach as he stood with nothing but a towel tied around his waist. Seeing Felicity's expression, he looked down towards his body as if he forgot about how naked he was. "And…until after I'm dressed," he nervously chuckled.

Felicity remained silent with flushed cheeks.

"I'm…Jim Kirk…," he said with a bashful smile.


	5. The More the Merrier

"I'm…Jim Kirk," he said with a bashful smile.

In most situations, Felicity was quick to think on her feet. Especially, when it came to class discussions. As a matter of fact, right now, Felicity wished she was in a classroom. Preferably, a History class. In that History class, the instructor would ask Felicity a question about seventeenth century English colonization such as "What was the first permanent settlement established by the English in 1607?"And, Felicity would instantly respond by saying "The first permanent English settlement was 'James's Fort' which is more famously known as Jamestown named after King James I of England." Then Felicity would receive a nod of approval from her instructor and allow Felicity to make herself comfortable in her seat as she listened to her instructor's lecture on English colonization for the rest of the class.

However, Felicity wasn't in a classroom setting and no amount of wishing was going to change that. As a matter of fact, Felicity was instead standing in front of a half-naked James T. Kirk. And so, comparatively, Felicity was unable to think on her feet as her mind wasn't exactly in the right place to start a conversation. And, she wasn't necessarily able to grant Kirk an intelligent reply. Nevertheless, Felicity needed to speak or else an uncomfortable silence would linger between a half-naked Kirk and a fully clothed Felicity. Felicity needed to say something. She needed to say anything!

"Hi…" Felicity croaked out with her eyes cast to the carpet.

Well...anything except that. She found that her throat was unexpectedly dry.

In consequence, the uncomfortable atmosphere Felicity had hoped to avoid settled into her dorm room with ease. The silence settled in with so much ease that it had practically made friends with the steam that escaped the bathroom and the distinct sound of water that leaked from the showerhead. In this moment, Felicity attempted to keep her eyes cast to the floor, pretending that Kirk had more than a towel wrapped around his waist. She also attempted to ignore the fact that beads of water dripped down Kirk's bare chest and pooled at his waistline. Again, she was doing her best to ignore how under dressed James T. Kirk was. But, it seemed that 'pretending' and 'ignoring' wasn't going very well for either of them.

"Um…" Jim said, biting his upper lip. "I'm just…going to get…dressed."

"That sounds like a good idea," Felicity said, nodding her head more than quickly enough.

With that, Jim quickly collected his clothing off the floor and returned to the safe haven that was the bathroom. When the bathroom door closed, Felicity released the breath she had subconsciously held in for the entire time. She then began to pace in the small space of her room to collect her thoughts. _He was here_. _James Tiberius Kirk was actually here at Star Fleet Academy._ Kirk did arrive at the shuttle. Her father was right. His faith wasn't misplaced. It was in the right place all along. And, Felicity was wrong. No wonder her father was so happy on the shuttle when they arrived at Star Fleet. He must have seen Kirk enter the shuttle prior to takeoff. And, her father didn't tell her. _Dad, how could you not tell me?!_

Now, as luck would have it, the famous "Genius-level-repeat-offender" had appeared half naked in her dorm room. Of course, the reason Kirk appeared half-naked was because he used Felicity's shower to clean himself off after sleeping with her roommate. _Seriously Ariel,_ Felicity thought. _Out of all the guys for you to take back to our room and sleep with- did it really have to be him? Did it really have to be James Tiberius Kirk of all people?_ Felicity began to believe that the Greek Goddesses of Fate certainly had a cruel sense of humor. The Fates managed to make Felicity surprised, embarrassed, and relieved all at the same time. Plus, they managed to make Felicity feel flustered. And, Felicity did not like to be flustered. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos were probably laughing hysterically at Felicity right now. They proved to Felicity that Kirk's mugshot didn't lie about his appearance. He had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and a promiscuous smile. Felicity mindlessly gripped her locket, if anything the mugshot undermined his appearance. Felicity wasn't wrong about Kirk being a pretty boy. And, Kirk was certainly aware that he was. How else did he manage to sleep with a girl his first night on campus? _He must have put his charm to good use_ , Felicity decided.

After rummaging through her thoughts, Felicity stopped her pacing and rested herself on her bed. Perhaps now, she'd be able to speak in more coherent sentences when Kirk exited the bathroom. Hopefully, it would be much easier for both of them to speak to one another. Certainly, things would be easier for Felicity.

In due time, Kirk emerged from the bathroom for the second time that night. Fortuitously, Kirk was fully dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Felicity bit the inside of her cheek, she hadn't yet figured out what to say to him. He swiftly took a seat on the ruffled mess of Ariel's bed. He sat in parallel to where Felicity sat on her own bed. He collected his boots and proceeded to put them on in his feet. From where she sat, Felicity could see the bruises he earned from the night before in Riverside, Iowa. _His face must still be sensitive_ , Felicity thought.

"Does it hurt?" Felicity asked him.

"Does what hurt?" he said glancing at her as he tied the laces of his boots.

"Your bruises," Felicity gestured to his face. "You must have taken a beating."

All though Felicity knew some of the details of what took place the night before, she figured playing dumb about what happened in Iowa could work to her benefit. And, besides Kirk didn't know what she knew. And, most importantly, he didn't know who her father was. Speaking of which, Felicity had no plans to let her father know that she saw Kirk half-naked. Even though, she was a grown women her father was still very protective of her, especially when it came to boys.

"They're that noticeable, huh?" Kirk said, bringing his hand to his cheek.

"Not too much," Felicity replied honestly.

"They aren't too bad," he said next. "I've gotten much worse. And, I'll probably get much worse in the future," he gave a small chuckle.

Felicity could only imagine what he went through in the past to get himself physically bruised. His record was filled with offenses. There was no doubt in Felicity's mind his offenses earned him some harsh bruises. "And, if you think I'm in a terrible state. You should see the other guys."

Felicity remembered the three cadets on the shuttle with bruised faces of their own. She also remembered, specifically, the cadet with the bruised knuckles that "flirted" with her in the ship yard. Felicity had definitely seen the "other guys" and she didn't really want to see them again. Regardless of the jokes he made, Felicity knew he was hiding the pain he felt. It was all an act, she could tell.

"Are you planning to be a History major?" Kirk suddenly asked.

The question, Felicity thought, seemed to come from out of the blue. "What makes you ask that?"

"There's a copy of Edith Hamilton's _Mythology_ on your bed," he began. "It's usually history majors that have texts on Ancient Civilizations."

Felicity turned to the book she had gotten from the library. It looked as if Felicity had placed the book on her bed before getting distracted by the mess in her dorm room. She should have expected that he was observant.

"I'm not exactly sure," Felicity said in good conscience. "I'm fascinated by the subject, but I have yet to decide if it's something that I want to major in for a military career. I mean what Captain really wants to have a Historian on a Starship? As far as I know, most Captains think that historians take up space."

"I wouldn't mind."

Felicity raised an eyebrow at him, "You wouldn't mind?"

"Yeah, I say the more the merrier. Especially if the Historian just happens to be a cute little brunette," he said with a twinkle in his eye. He was clearly talking about her.

Before Felicity could process what Kirk had just expressed, he took several steps towards her. Knots started to form in her stomach. His eyes were a lot bluer up close. She clutched her necklace again. She was beginning to lose her composure.

"You don't mind if I get that back do you?" Kirk inquired, tilting his head towards Felicity's hands.

Felicity awoke from her trance and followed his gaze to the black leather jacket she forgot was in her grasp. "Oh…Sorry," she handed the leather over to him. Her fingers brushed against his in the exchange. Briefly, she felt a tingling sensation pass to her fingertips.

"So, I didn't catch your name," Kirk spoke, not removing his eyes away from Felicity.

Felicity knitted her eyebrows together at Kirk's words, "Really?" She thought she had given him her name. But, he was right, she hadn't. In all the confusion, Felicity hadn't thought to do so.

"It's-"

But just as Felicity was about to answer him, the sound of a door opening caused both of them to shift their attention away from their conversation and to the perpetrator of the sound.

"I think we can go for one more round before my roommate comes back-" said Felicity's redheaded roommate Ariel. She strolled into the room dressed in shorts and a tank top with bottles of alcohol locked in her arms.

"Oh," Ariel said, realizing her plans would have to change from the sight of her roommate. "Hi…you're back."

"Yeah, I am," Felicity said with folded arms and a tight lip.

"That's my cue to leave," Kirk said rapidly, making sure to hurry out.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Ariel asked, trying to salvage what was left of her intimate night with Kirk.

"Sorry," he said as he stood in the threshold, slipping his arms into his jacket. "I don't think your roommate will like that very much."

Unexpectedly, Kirk winked at Felicity in spite of Ariel's close proximity to him. Luckily, Ariel hadn't noticed Kirk's wink or Felicity's small smile in response.

"Aww," Ariel said with disappointment in her voice. "Message me, when you want to meet up again."

"Right… Kirk said hesitantly as if he needed to think about the concept before exiting out the door.

It was obvious to Felicity that Kirk had no intention of calling Ariel back. But, Ariel didn't seem to realize it. When the door closed, Ariel sighed to herself as if she had just had the most romantic night of her life. Too bad the feeling didn't seem to be reciprocated by Kirk. Ariel jumped face first onto the cluttered sheets of her bed.

Ariel turned her face in Felicity's direction hugging a pillow to her chest, "Isn't he hot?"

 _Yes-I mean-no!_ Felicity confusingly thought before putting on her most serious face, "Ariel, we need to talk."


	6. What did he mean by cute anyways?

_Beep... Beep…Beep_

"Good morning to you too," Felicity drowsily replied to her alarm clock as it went off on her bedside table. Felicity briskly turned it off, remembering that she was sharing her room with someone else. Felicity looked across the room to see if she disturbed Ariel. From the sight of Ariel lying on her bed with her limbs spread, eyes closed and mouth open, it looked like Felicity hadn't disturbed Ariel at all. The snores that escaped Ariel's mouth also proved to be a sign that she was definitely undisturbed by Felicity's alarm. Felicity laughed quietly to herself, the way Ariel looked was almost comical. After stretching her arms and legs, Felicity got out from under her blue covers and made her way to the bathroom. It was time for Felicity to get ready for the school day. She made sure to pick up her datapad on the way over to see if she received any messages while she slept.

When Felicity entered the bathroom, she immediately winced due to the lights that flashed on in response to her presence. Felicity put her tablet to the side as she reached for the handles to the sink. She kept her eyelids partly shut as she let the warm water run out of the faucet. She still wasn't used to the bright light. Next, Felicity slipped her hands under the warm water and splashed her face to awaken her senses. Within seconds, she was able to open her eyes fully. She was met with the image of herself wearing her loose fitted red pajamas and her brown hair in a tousled mess. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in regards to her appearance, Felicity deducted. Her brown eyes also seemed healthy as they were not bloodshot the way they would be from a lack of sleep. _Everything looks fine,_ Felicity thought. She had managed to get a good night's rest. She then reached for her toothbrush with toothpaste in hand and began to brush her teeth.

Just like anyone else, Felicity had a morning ritual. This was the way Felicity started her day. It was her morning routine. But, today's ritual was somewhat different than most days. There was still the lingering memory of what took place the night before.

Yes, Felicity had a lengthy discussion with her roommate regarding bringing guys back to the room. And, yes, Felicity still hadn't forgotten about the person that coincidently slept with her roommate, used her shower, and introduced himself to her despite his half-naked state. Felicity cringed at the thought of Ariel having sex in her dorm room. She tried to shake the thought of it out of her mind. Yes, Felicity hadn't forgotten. And, something told her she would never forget. To her dismay, the event was practically on replay in her mind. The replay made Felicity think in hindsight about the actions she should have taken and the words she should have said. But, most importantly, she was replaying what _he_ had said to her.

 _"Especially if the historian just happens to be a cute little brunette."_

Felicity paused at brushing her teeth. Felicity was dissecting his statement, specifically the part of his statement where he called her "cute". Kirk had called her "cute" _._ He said it without effort. So effortlessly it amazed her. It was practically skillful. And, that surprised her. It took her off guard. _He must use that line a lot,_ Felicity guessed. That was the only explanation. But, even so, he had managed to brush off his statement as if it wasn't a big deal. Rather, his statement quickly turned into an understatement as his attention moved quickly to his leather jacket. The leather jacket that just so happened to be in Felicity's hands. _It doesn't mean anything_ , Felicity tried to convince herself. Just like him sleeping with Ariel didn't mean anything.

Felicity then spat into the sink and washed her mouth clean of the minty paste. As she dried her lips with a spare towel, she couldn't help but look at herself in the mirror again. _What did he mean by "cute" anyways?_ Felicity pondered. Babies were cute. Dogs were cute. Admiral Archer's prized beagle was cute. And, Felicity sure as hell knew she wasn't a baby or a dog. What could possibly be "cute" about _her_? What could it be? Felicity turned her face from side to side, examining the features of her appearance. Felicity traced the shape of her nose, her cheeks, her jaw, and her neck. She then ran her fingers in the tousled brown locks of her bed-head. Next, she put her face closer to the mirror, seeing the brown irises of her eyes. As a young girl, Felicity remembered being very critical of her brown hair that seemed to get tangled way too easily. She had to keep her hair tied in various ways because of it. Over the years, she had her hair in pigtails, pony tails and buns due to how unmanageable her hair was. Growing up, Felicity also didn't particularly care much for her brown eyes as the rest of her classmates had either blue eyes or green eyes. She was usually jealous of how their eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight whereas her's didn't seem to at all. One classmate in particular Felicity was jealous of was Carol Marcus. Carol was Felicity's childhood friend. They were introduced to one another since both of their fathers were aiming to be prestigious Starfleet officers. Their childhood was somewhat similar as they both had absentee fathers, so it made sense for them to have playdates with one another. Felicity realized she hadn't seen Carol in years since she went away to boarding school in London, England. As Carol was kind, Felicity wondered how she was getting along wherever she was. To Felicity, Carol was the girl everyone seemed to be attracted to because of her blonde hair, blue eyes and magnetic personality. Her hair was perfectly straight whereas Felicity's was either wavy or curly. Felicity's eyes were also a lot darker compared to Carol's.

Felicity let out a breath, if there was anything attractive about herself she couldn't see it. And, if there just _happened_ to be anything that was "cute" about her, Felicity definitely didn't see it. A shine of light was suddenly reflected in the bathroom mirror. It belonged to Felicity's necklace or what Felicity still felt was still very much her mother's necklace. _That's right_ , Felicity recognized. _I get my looks from you, Mom. And you were the prettiest lady in the whole wide world._ Felicity gave a faint smile. _I shouldn't be too hard on myself because if I do that means I'm being hard on you too. What kind of daughter does that make me?_

Without warning, her stomach began to growl. Felicity shifted her hand to her abdomen, hoping the action would ease her hunger. Felicity sighed, during orientation yesterday the faculty had stated that the mess hall wouldn't be open for another day due to renovations. She wasn't sure where she would be eating breakfast this morning. Or maybe…she wouldn't be getting any breakfast at all. She'd have no choice but to go to class hungry in a couple of hours. Disappointment washed over her, she wanted food. Preferably, chocolate chip pancakes. It looked like she would have to make do without food.

To take her mind off her hunger, she moved on to brush the knots out of her hair. At the same moment she finished brushing, her datapad beeped. It seemed like she had just received a message.

"Breakfast at Evan's?" said the text.

Within seconds, another message appeared.

The following text said, "My treat."

Felicity smiled, he knew her all too well.

Felicity finally replied with her own message, "Do you really have to ask, Dad?"


	7. Achilles' Heel

"Felicity, honey?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You're drowning your pancakes in maple syrup."

Perplexed by what her father said, Felicity looked down at her plate. Looking down, she discovered that her dish was flooded with maple syrup. Her father was right, her pancakes _were_ drowning. It was at the fault of Felicity holding her maple syrup dispenser over her pancakes longer than necessary. Felicity was absolutely mindless of the fact she was participating in such an action.

"Oh…" Felicity said. She then gently laid the syrup dispenser down on the white table cloth as if she yielded a dangerous weapon. "Oops."

"'Oops' is right," her father said. You'd think that after all these years, you'd understand the dangers of syrup?"

"Hey," Felicity feigned offense. "Syrup isn't exactly an explosive device."

"Well, with the way you handle it…It might as well be," he teased.

Felicity pouted her lips at her father's remark.

"Do you want a new plate?" Christopher asked, ready to call over the waiter.

"No," Felicity replied, cutting out a piece of her pancake stack with her fork and knife.

"Besides," she held her fork inches away from her lips, a hotcake was stabbed through the spears. "You know how hungry I get," she smirked before placing the flat cake in her mouth. "I thought you knew me, Dad," she said playfully with her mouth partly full.

"I do know you," Christopher pointed out. "And, don't talk with your mouth full," he said in a paternalistic tone.

Slightly shamed by her father's criticism, Felicity remained silent and chewed on her cake with closed lips.

Felicity sat across from her father in Evan's Diner. It was a diner located several blocks away from Star Fleet Academy. The diner also had a bayside view of the San Francisco bay making it have the perfect location. Felicity was more than familiar with Evan's Diner as it was the place both her mom and dad had managed to take her to when she was younger. It was a place both Felicity and Christopher enjoyed. So, when her father had offered to share breakfast with her at this specific place, there was no way she could ever say no. Plus, they had the best chocolate chip pancakes in San Francisco. And, Felicity had a weakness for chocolate chip pancakes.

"So, how was orientation?" Christopher asked he drank from his porcelain coffee mug.

"It was fine," Felicity answered, reaching for her glass of orange juice. "A majority of the day was filled with lectures on what _not_ to do on campus. At one point, our instructors stated very clearly that the University does not sponsor campus parties at all, but that didn't stop upperclassmen from throwing a party last night. If anything, I think it spurred all of them on."

Christopher smiled, reminiscing about his own days in the Academy. "How could they not? It's a campus tradition. Cadets will do anything to hold up tradition. Even when I was a cadet, "The Party of the Year" was a big deal."

Felicity looked at her father quizzically, "From the smile on your face, I'm guessing you didn't miss on the festivities when you were a cadet. Right, Dad?"

"Of course, I did. _Those_ were the days…" Christopher said, trailing off into the reflection of his younger years. "Oh the shenanigans my friends and I would get into. Did I tell you about the time when-"

"You and your friends broke into the library to play a prank on the administration. You managed to pull it off by using the air vents which is why you didn't get caught. And, the administration still doesn't know who was behind it." Felicity recalled from memory. Her father had told her the story of him breaking into the campus library many times before. "Was that what you were going to say?"

Christopher gave his daughter a pout of his own and hesitated in speaking, "Yes..."

"Just like you know me, Dad," she said, smugly. "I- know- _you_."

He gave her a sideways glance, "Touché."

Felicity smirked again before, proudly, consuming another piece of her pancake.

"So, what did you do after the tour?" Christopher asked, wanting to start another conversation. He placed his coffee cup down and began to butter his toast.

"I went to my dorm room to meet my roommate."

"How was that? Do you like her?" he said with interest.

Felicity pondered what words she could use to describe Ariel. Was she a good roommate? _No._ Was she an absolutely terrible roommate? _No, not exactly._ Was she the absolute worst? _No, not really._ So what did Felicity truly think about Ariel? "She is…okay…" Felicity concluded, tentatively.

Christopher caught on to his daughter's vague portrayal. "That bad huh?"

Felicity nodded, "And, that is all I have to say."

"If it ever gets absolutely terrible, you know you can always come back home, right?"

Felicity nodded again, expressing her understanding of what her father had insisted on previously. "I know, Dad."

"Because really I have no problem with the matter," he said once more, illustrating how much he would like for her to be home.

"I know you don't. It's just…" she started, thinking of the most appropriate way to put her thoughts into words. Felicity knew there was a safe place for her at home. But, at the same time, she needed to grow up a little bit. And, that meant she needed to live away from home for a while even if it meant living several blocks away. "I need to live on my own for once. I need to get used to being an adult and not depend on you all of the time." As she didn't want to sound too harsh, Felicity then added sweetly, "No matter how helpful of a 'Dad' you _are_."

"I see," Christopher said. "Is that why you're eating breakfast with me-to be on your _own_?"

To Christopher, if she was trying to be independent she certainly had a funny way of showing it.

Felicity looked back at her father and then back at her delicious meal. "Come on," Felicity said in defense. "You know I can't say no to food. It's my Achilles' heel. Also, the mess hall was closed."

He laughed lightheartedly, "You don't have to explain yourself, Felicity. I get it, honey. You want to spread your wings a little bit. Get your independence. I wanted the same thing when I was your age."

"Yeah," she said, sitting back in her chair. "I just want…to be independent," she said, finally hearing what the words sound like out loud. Felicity felt that the words sounded odd coming from her lips.

"So, anyways," Christopher said, chewing and then swallowing his toast. "What did you do after you met your roommate?"

Felicity pushed herself back up to the table, reaching for her fork and knife, "I went to the library while she went to go party."

"The library? Let me guess you heard about the Ancient Civilizations section."

"Yup," Felicity smiled. "Lieutenant Cortez was kind enough to tell me about it during our tour of the campus. I picked up a book on Greek Mythology."

"Edith Hamilton, right?"

Felicity nodded and placed another piece of her meal in her mouth. For several moments, a silence passed between the two of them as they continued to eat their breakfast.

"During your tour of campus," Christopher suddenly began, grabbing his datapad. "Did you see…Kirk?"

The unexpected mention of the Genius Level Repeat Offender caused Felicity to swallow her pancake harshly. Immediately, the image of Kirk almost half naked infiltrated her mind. She could almost feel her cheeks heat up again like they did the night before. She tried to erase the image of Kirk naked and dripping wet out of her mind. _Get out! Get out!_ Felicity repeated in her head. How did her father know to ask her that question? Did he already know that she saw Kirk? Did he already know how _much_ of him she saw?

"No," Felicity decided to say. "I didn't see him during the tour." In truth, Felicity hadn't seen Kirk during the tour of her campus. So, she wasn't lying to her father. She only saw Kirk _after_ the tour. She didn't think it would be a good idea explaining to her father where, when and how she managed to see Kirk. Instead, she focused on cutting another piece of her pancake stack, attempting to not look suspicious, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I saw him just right before the shuttle left Riverside ship yard."

 _So, you did see him on the shuttle and didn't tell me!_ Felicity recollected. For Felicity, it would have been nice to know ahead of time that Kirk had indeed made it to the shuttle. That way Felicity could have at least anticipated Kirk's presence. But, what girl could ever anticipate a half-naked man emerging from her bathroom?

"The kid bragged about getting his own ship in three years rather than five," Christopher continued. Felicity scoffed at Kirk's cockiness, _That sounds like something he would say._

Felicity recalled what Kirk had said last night about not minding having a Historian on his ship. In hindsight, she realized how confident he had seemed with the concept of commanding a ship of his own one day. Felicity knew that cockiness wasn't all a cadet needed to move up in Star Fleet. "He's going to need a lot more than bravado to manage that," muttered Felicity.

"That's true," her father admitted, hearing the words she said. "Which is why I have decided to be his Academic Advisor."

 _What?!_ Felicity immediately paused at eating her meal. Her father wants to be Kirk's Academic Advisor? "Really?" Felicity said with eyes wide.

To Felicity, it looked as if her father was being very proactive about Kirk. He was certainly taking the appropriate steps to keep Kirk in line. Her father must have a lot of faith in him to make that commitment. _Or,_ Felicity grasped, her father was taking the necessary steps to make sure he wasn't making the same mistakes he did the last time he took a cadet under his wing. Felicity fiddled with her utensils, Felicity had strong feelings regarding _that_ cadet. Felicity bit her lip. And, Felicity's feelings weren't ones of positivity. She saw what her father was doing. He was keeping Kirk close to keep history from repeating itself.

"Yes," Pike admitted. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I don't mean to sound surprised," Felicity said honestly. "I just…didn't expect for you to do that. I think it's a good idea. You're the best person for the job."

Felicity meant what she said. Her father _was_ the best person for the job. However, Felicity remained tentative towards the idea of Kirk being around her father. Why? Because it was inevitable that would lead to Kirk being around _her_. Kirk didn't know who she was. Last night, she was unable to let him know. She didn't even tell him her mother's maiden name of Clark. A lot of people didn't know she was Christopher Pike's daughter. Would he look at her differently when he found out? It was inevitable for him to find out. _Wait_ , Felicity took notice of her thoughts, why did she suddenly care about what Kirk thought? She only spoke to him for a minute. She didn't even know him.

"I'm glad you like the idea," her father said next. "That's not all," her father then added folding his hands. "I also want you to do something for me."

"Okay," his daughter said curiously. "What is it, Dad?"

"If you happen to have any classes with him try to help him if you can. He'll be needing it."

 _Help him?_ Felicity bit her lip, she didn't know how she would manage that. She had enough trouble speaking to him as is. She let out a sigh, "I don't know, Dad…"

Felicity moved her eyes to her watch, she needed to know the time. Her eyes widened at the fact that it was now thirty minutes to ten o'clock. She _needed_ to get to back to school.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I have to get to class," Felicity said urgently. She grabbed her bag, "Can we… continue this conversation later?"

In truth, Felicity didn't want to continue this conversation, but she was showing respect towards her father. "Bye, Dad," She then kissed her father on his cheek. "See you later."

Felicity exited the diner and hurried back to school. Hopefully, she would make it to class on time.

 _Ringgggggggggggg_

Felicity passed the threshold of her Astronomy class in sync with the ringing of the school bell. _Yes, I made it_ , Felicity couldn't help but think as she walked further into the classroom. It seemed as if walking really _really_ fast cut some seconds off of her hike back to campus. Of course, she was hyperventilating a little bit, but it was a small price Felicity had to pay to not be tardy on her first day of school. Felicity wanted to make a good impression on the professor, Dr. DePree. Dr. DePree was a prestigious professor at the Academy so it mattered very much for Felicity to be there at the right time.

Now, that Felicity was in her class on time the next step required that Felicity find a seat. However, a majority of the classroom was already filled. Each row was packed with cadets in red uniforms. The sea of red obscured any open seat that existed in the ginormous lecture hall. For a task that should have been simple, Felicity found herself struggling. Especially since it seemed like no one was willing to set aside any room for her. _I guess I could stand for a whole hour and fifty minutes,_ Felicity reckoned.

Suddenly, through the crowded room, a weak whistling sound emerged, calling for Felicity's attention. She moved her eyes to where the sound manifested. Felicity was greeted with the smiling face and twinkling blue eyes of what she now recognized as her father's academic advisee, James T. Kirk. Next to him, Kirk gestured to an empty seat he seemed more than willing to set aside for Felicity.

Butterflies fluttered in Felicity's stomach. _Well, this is going to be an interesting class period_ , Felicity established before she trudged up the steps that lead to the back of the room.

*A/N

So the reason I haven't updated in a while is due to exams, various presentations and papers that I must do for school. I have been working on the 8th chapter and hopefully that will be out soon but until then please know that I have not given up on this story.

Sincerely,

Angela

P.S. thanks for reading and all those that leave reviews. It is good to know that people enjoy my content.


	8. Lonely Boy

As Felicity trudged up the steps to the back of the lecture hall she felt as if she were treading water. She developed a sudden longing for the days of elementary school where all the teachers would automatically have the names of their students labeled on an individual desk. If that was the method used in Starfleet, Felicity's life, at this moment, would be a lot easier. Rather, Felicity found herself almost tardy for class and as a result, she was without a seat. But, as the Greek Goddesses of Fate would have it, Felicity's saving grace was the one person that made her feel uneasy.

Felicity was counting the steps that it took to get to the back of the class room. She climbed the fourth to last step, _I don't need to do anything._ She then climbed the third to last step, _I just have to tolerate him._ She then climbed the second to last step, _I won't have to do much_. And, now she found herself on the final step of the stair case only one foot away from James T. Kirk, _I won't really have to talk to him._ Felicity then caught him looking her way, and her stomach morphed into knots. _Right?_

"I should have known that I would be seeing you again," Kirk said to Felicity with a small smile on his lips.

Kirk kept his eyes on her as she unwillingly moved closer. Once again, she was at a loss for words. And, once again, she needed to find something to say.

"Ditto," Felicity murmured. Although, Felicity was incapable of carrying on a conversation, she thought it better for her to keep their conversations short and simple. Class was just starting and she needed to focus. She didn't need a distraction. And, frankly, _he_ was too much of a distraction. But, even though, "ditto" served as a simple answer, she meant what she said. She should have known that she would be seeing him again. Star Fleet wasn't that big of a campus. And, frankly both of them had someone in common, her father, Christopher Pike.

Whether Felicity liked it or not, the stars were aligned for them to meet. Even if it meant meeting in the most awkward of circumstances. Felicity grudgingly recalled the image of Kirk standing bare skinned in her dorm room. She also remembered the phrase he used, _"Especially if the historian just happens to be a cute little brunette."_ It was practically destiny. Later, Felicity would be kicking herself over her inability to foresee the future.

Felicity stepped on the final step of the stair well. She was now on the same level with Kirk. Felicity felt herself relax a little bit taking note that Kirk was fully dressed in a red cadet uniform like everyone else. Felicity reckoned that it seemed odd for him to be dressed in red like everyone else. If there was anything she could deduce about Kirk, it was the fact that he needed to distinguish himself. And, that was probably the reason why he chose to sit in the back of the room.

"Why don't you sit down?" Kirk suggested, pulling her chair further out for her. "You seem a bit out of breath."

"Yeah…" Felicity said, realizing she was hyperventilating as a result of her fast paced hike from Evan's. "Thanks," she said, before slipping her bag off her shoulder and placing herself in the seat next to his.

She then accidently brushed her elbow against his. "Sorry," she said timidly.

"No problem," he said, not at all fazed by her movements.

She began to empty the necessary materials out of her bag and place them on the white table top in front of her. Despite Kirk's presence, she began to carry on as if it were a regular school day. She had her datapad, her pen and a real notebook with real paper for taking notes. She had everything she needed for class. _At least one thing managed to go right today,_ Felicity thought.

As she continued to organize her things, she caught Kirk looking at her with an amused expression. "What?" she questioned, innocently.

"Nothing," he said with a smirk. "I've just never seen someone so prepared for one class before."

Quizzically, Felicity looked over her materials. She didn't understand what was so different about the way she equipped herself. She liked being ready for class. "Well, I believe in being prepared," she said, slightly vexed. "There is nothing wrong with that," Felicity then moved to turn on her datapad dismissing Kirk. To her, it was perfectly normal for someone to have all the tools needed for school.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Kirk said, noticing that he may have offended her accidently. "It was just an observation. I'm sorry if it came off…as discourteous."

She granted him a sideways glance, wondering if he really was being sincere. He gave her another soft smile. And, her stomach formed another knot. She looked away from him and turned to look at the blank table top in front of Kirk. She realized he had no materials whatsoever. There was absolutely nothing there. Felicity had surmised that her father had made arrangements for Kirk to have the necessary materials for school. Felicity remembered her father typing on his datapad over breakfast. It seemed that Christopher Pike was taking the time to finalize any of the arrangements he made for Kirk. Only academic advisors had the authority to prepare their advisees in such a way. Those materials should have included a uniform, a dorm room, a class schedule, campus map, datapad, 500 credits to start, and other necessary supplies. So, why didn't Kirk have any of them out in front of him?

Before Felicity could inquire about Kirk's lack of materials, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor could be heard from the hallway and a short woman with curly black hair dressed in a black uniform entered the classroom. She first set down her tablet and synced it to the projector attached to the lecture hall's ceiling. From the woman's actions and the way she commanded herself upon entering, it was clear that she was the professor. And, the entire class was silent in response. The class knew they were the inferior ones in this situation. Unlike everyone else, Felicity immediately recognized the woman as Dr. DePree. In a moment's time, DePree began to write on the chalk board.

"Some of you may know me, some of you may not, but I am Dr. DePree,"she said, as she wrote her full name on the board in cursive. "And, I will be your Astronomy professor this semester."

"Although, most of you must already know some of the basics regarding the topic of Astronomy Starfleet requires that all first year students take this particular course. And, why does Starfleet mandate that you all take this course? Because it's an assurance that when you all are in the confines of deep space you'll know exactly what this is…"

DePree then used a wireless remote to project an image of what looked to be gas and dust encircling a circle in the midst of space. Felicity recognized the image immediately. It was a black hole.

"In my opinion, this object, in particular, is one of the most fascinating objects found in outer space. If you haven't figured out what this object is it is in fact a black hole."

"Does anyone know where the term "black hole" comes from?" DePree then asked the class.

For a good thirty seconds, the entire class was silent. Large classes usually motivated group polarization which then enabled an achingly long silence. The silence tended to last until someone with enough grit decided to speak. Or more specifically, when Felicity chose to finally answer the question.

Felicity raised her hand in a way that was similar to the way she did in elementary school. Her arm was outstretched in the air above her head making it more likely for her hand to be seen.

DePree saw Felicity's hand from the back of the room, "Yes, cadet."

"Ma'am the term "black hole" was coined in 1967 by American astronomer John Wheeler. He used the term in a statement he made at the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies."

"Why, yes that is in fact true," DePree nodded her head in agreement. "Although, Einstein first predicted the existence of black holes in our universe with his theory of general relativity. Wheeler was the first to coin the phrase "black hole." Very good. Now does anyone know when the first black hole was discovered?"

Felicity looked around the room waiting for a response from her classmates. And, Kirk seemed uninterested in anything the professor had to say. But, another moment of silence passed and Felicity rose her hand again.

DePree nodded to Felicity granting her permission to speak once more.

"A black hole was first discovered in 1971," Felicity answered.

"Yes, that is true as well," DePree returned with a slight smirk. "By the way, what is your name Cadet?"

"It's Felicity-Pi" Felicity stopped herself. She was about to say that her last name was Pike. Potentially, creating the very problem she hoped to avoid. She feared being treated differently because of who her father happened to be. She blushed, seeing the number of classmates staring at her. She needed to say the correct last name to prevent their stares from lasting any longer. "Its's Felicity Clark, Ma'am," she finally said in the correct fashion.

"Well, its nice to meet you Cadet Clark," Dr. DePree said, before moving on to continue her lecture on black holes. And, with that everyone turned their stares away from Felicity and back to DePree. Well, almost everyone. Everyone except Kirk.

Instead of paying attention to the lecture, Kirk was leaning on one of his elbows with a hand cupping his chin as he peered at her inquisitively. Felicity began to worry. Was he looking at her that way as a result of her almost saying Pike? She hoped he wasn't on to her.

"What is it?" she whispered to him, attempting to not be disruptive towards the lecture.

"Your name is 'Felicity'?"

"Yes," Felicity said quickly, she began to take one of her pens and write in her notes. Luckily, he was only curious about her first name.

" 'Fe-li-city' ," he repeated again, making sure he was annunciating every consonant and vowel in her name. "I've never met a Felicity before."

"Really," Felicity glanced at him. She had never thought of her name as unique. It was something she had to live with like most people. She had never given her name a second thought. It was just a name, after all. But, she was somewhat flattered that he had never met someone with a name like her's.

"Yeah…I've met a Rebecca, a Louise, a Hannah, a Sarah, a Camden, a Jillian, an Abigail, a Lori, a Taylor, a Kate, a Fiona..." he licked his lips, as he recalled the names of the women he 'met' over the years. "And, a Janice."

Felicity rolled her eyes. She realized he was reminiscing about the girls he encountered on his sexual escapades. "Good to know," she murmured, returning her attention to DePree.

As she was about to title her paper with the words "Astronomy Notes Day One" Kirk's voice broke her concentration once more.  
"But, never a 'Felicity.'" He said, still posed on one of his elbows. He then framed his lips into a smirk. "I like it."

As she didn't know how to respond, Felicity bit the inside of her cheek and her cheeks began to warm. He confused her. And, he kept her attention away from the lecture. She wasn't sure if she would be able survive a whole semester sitting next to him. She remembered her father's request over breakfast, _You want me to help him, Dad. But, who's going to help me?_

"Kirk, shouldn't you be taking notes?" she whispered to him discreetly.

"Jim," he said in return.

"What?" She was even more confused now.

He spoke with a twinkle in his eye, "Please call me, Jim."

Again, she chewed the inside of her cheek. "Okay…" she breathed out, giving in to his request. "Jim…" she was unused to the way his first name fell off her lips. It was an informal action for her to take part in, but even as strange as it was, a warmth enveloped her chest. She ignored it and asked her initial question again, "Shouldn't you be writing things down?"

He shook his head, "Don't need to."

"Why?" she questioned with eyebrows knitted.

"Cuz," he said. "It's already right here," he then tapped on the temple of his forehead.

Felicity's eyebrows remained knitted. Jim was certainly an odd one. She always needed to write things down. That was how she learned. And, that's how she remembered. Did he not do the same? The loudness of DePree's voice brought Felicity's attention back to the front of the room.

"So, just to review what I just discussed about black holes, can someone please tell me the two key parts of a black hole?"

Similarly, the class was silent just as they were at the beginning of DePree's lecture. No one was answering and frankly, this time, Felicity couldn't provide an answer this time. She looked down over her notes, seeing a white blank page. She couldn't reply to DePree's question even if she wanted to. The whole class was all on their own. _So, much for taking notes,_ Felicity thought before planting her pen on the tabletop.

Fifteen long seconds had passed before someone bothered answering. And, to Felicity's surprise, that person in particular was Jim.

"It's the event horizon and singularity," Jim said, looking as if he didn't want to answer in the first place.

DePree looked Jim's way surprised that another student had answered her. DePree then followed up with another question, "Yes, and can you explain to me what they do?"

Jim cleared his throat, "The event horizon is the boundary marking the limits of a black hole. When something enters the event horizon nothing at that point can come out. Not even light can escape it. In the case of what a singularity is, it is the center of a black hole covered by the event horizon."

Felicity's jaw dropped slightly. She couldn't believe he had managed to pay attention to the lecture while he was distracting her. But, then she recalled his high aptitude test scores. He didn't _need_ to pay attention. He was already a genius. Felicity just managed to forget how intelligent he was.

"That is true as well," DePree said in approval. "And, what is your name, Cadet?"

Jim glanced at Felicity and hesitated, "Its Kirk, James T..."

Everyone in the room suddenly turned their eyes to Jim, whispering amongst themselves. They all had just realized something Felicity had figured out days ago. Jim was the son of acclaimed Starfleet hero, George Kirk. The son of a national hero was in their class and they couldn't stop staring at him. They were staring at Jim the way Felicity was scared of being looked at. _How could he possibly endure it?_

"Kirk?" DePree said, inquisitively and one of her eyebrows arched. "As in the Hero of the U.S.S. Kelvin?"

For a faint moment, Felicity saw something in Jim's eyes falter. But, it disappeared as soon as he gave his practiced smile. "Yeah, the one and only," Jim then winked at one of the female cadets situated at the bottom of the stairwell. The female cadet giggled in response. Jim's actions caused Felicity to roll her eyes.

DePree chuckled at Jim's flirtatious actions towards one of the other students, "All right, Kirk, thanks for answering my questions. Next time I call on you I may want to be a little bit more careful to let you get the spotlight. Your father was an honorable man it's a shame that he passed. He was a very good officer. Thanks again, Cadet Kirk."

"No problem," Kirk added, maintaining a cheeky grin before sitting back in his chair. As he sat back, Felicity caught him giving a dejected expression. Although, he could give a smile that could make a girl weak at the knees, it couldn't hide the emotions he tried to conceal. Felicity saw the same emotions she saw in his mugshot from her final night in Iowa. It was the look of sadness and loss, Felicity herself, was more than familiar with. Jim laid his hand in his chin, keeping his eyes on the blank white space in front of him. He tapped his fingers along the desk and stared at the whiteness. Felicity inferred, Jim was thinking about his late father and imagining what his life would be like if George Kirk were still alive.

For the rest of the class period, Jim remained quiet, not speaking another word to Felicity. In contrast, Felicity attempted multiple times to pay attention to the lecture, but she couldn't help but contemplate whether to reach out and grab Jim's hand. Felicity wanted to squeeze it gently in reassurance. She wanted to let Jim know he was not alone. She knew his loss and sadness. Felicity knew what it was like to be without a parent. However, at least for Felicity, she knew what it was like to experience the love of that fallen parent. Felicity knew what it meant to be loved by a mother even if it was shorter than Felicity had liked. But, Kirk, on the other hand, never met his father. He didn't know what it was like to experience a father's embrace. He didn't know what it was like to experience a father's love. In consequence, Jim had grown up a lonely boy. And, Felicity didn't want him to be alone anymore.

A/N

Just wanted to say I know its been awhile since I last updated, but I have good reasons. When I'm not writing fanfiction, I'm usually writing papers, planning oral presentations, and studying for exams. Speaking of which, next week is finals week so it will be highly unlikely that I'll be updating this story.

Anyways, I just want to say thank you to all my readers especially those who have left reviews, favorited and followed this story. I appreciate the positive response. It motivates me to keep writing. Additionally, if there is a criticism someone as for this story please feel free to leave a review or message me. I will certainly take what you say into consideration.

Sincerely,

Angela a.k.a. Fearless by Past


	9. A Living and Breathing Aide-mémoire

_"_ _Mommy, don't leave." The little boy clung to his mother's skirt with his small hands. He clustered the fabric in his small fists. She was leaving again after being home for a short while. He didn't want her to go._

 _"_ _I'm sorry. I have to leave. The taxi will be leaving soon."_

 _"_ _Please don't go," he smothered his face in the polyester, tears streaming down his face. He needed her there with him._

 _"_ _Sweetheart," she bent down to her knees, kneeling on the brown soil of Iowan farmland. She spoke in a low whisper, brushing her son's tears away with the pads of her thumbs. "I have to leave. I've been called on duty. How else am I going to get the money for your schooling?" she said._

 _"_ _I don't have to go to school anymore. I can work on the farm. Sell the crops in town," the boy desperately bargained. "I'll do anything. Just stay."_

 _"_ _No, baby," she said regretfully. She then tapped one of his temples, "I need you to be smart. I want more for you than just farming."_

 _The child continued to cry and clung to his mother's hand, not wanting to let her go for even a second. She then took in the image of her son's bright baby blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. She brushed the strands of hair that covered his face, feeling the texture on her fingertips. Her lips formed into a frown, "You are so much like your father."_

 _Right before the boy's eyes, he saw how his mother's expression changed into one of sadness and regret as she remembered her lost love. "You have his eyes. You even have his spirit."_

 _The honking of the taxi caught the women's attention. Quickly, she brought her lips to her son's forehead, placing a small kiss there, "I love you, Jimmy. Be good."_

 _She then moved to pick up her bags, pulling her hand away from Jimmy's grasp. His small hand had almost hovered in midair as he lost the touch of the one person that showed him affection. Whenever she left, it hurt him more than she realized. Whenever she left, she always conveyed how he looked so much like his father. It was routine. Jimmy could see how her face faltered when she looked at him. He began to believe that was the reason why she left. After all, he was a living and breathing reminder of George Kirk. But, first and foremost, Jimmy was a living and breathing aide-mémoire to his father's death. From then on out, Jimmy always saw himself as a reminder of the tragic past, never thinking that he had the potential for something so much more in the future. Jimmy never thought that he could actually be something special._

 _It better work this time,_ Jim went on to throw another rock at the flat watery surface of the San Franscisco Bay. As of right now, Jim was killing time before he had to get back to his dorm. After his last class, Jim needed some time to himself. He needed time to collect his thoughts. Luckily, Jim found a secluded area by the school's auditorium that was situated by the Bay's shoreline. Surely, no one would bother him there. Rather than sand, the ground was covered in a large supply of rocks. The endless supply, gave Jim a simple activity to take part in as he pondered the day's events. As a little boy, he always wanted to skip stones across a large mass of water. To a young Jim, it always seemed like fun.

Ultimately, the setting was perfect for thinking as he saw the lights of the city reflected on the water creating a serene atmosphere. The San Franscisco skyline differentiated whole heartedly with the Iowan corn fields and dirt roads Jim was used to. To Jim, the dirt roads and fields of corn seemed to be endless whereas in San Franscisco there seemed to be something new around every corner. Jim loved the contrast in setting. But, despite the lively atmosphere, Jim wasn't sure if he actually belonged here.

As soon as Jim released the chosen stone from his grasp and towards the water, the rock broke through the surface. The stone failed to skip on the water's exterior and instead fell through, creating a rippling effect. _Damn_ , Jim felt the ripples antagonize him as he failed once more to toss a rock on the water. The last thing Jim needed was to be taunted by an inanimate object. He had received enough judgement from animate objects or in other words _real people_ for the day.

 _"_ _Your father was an honorable man it's a shame that he passed."_

Whether Jim liked it or not, DePree's comment had gotten to him. As far as Jim knew, George Kirk didn't _pass_ away. To say that someone _passed_ implies that someone's death was something expected. It was a demise that occurred after a fleeting of time. His father's death, as far as Jim knew, was something that _happened_. A random occurrence that wasn't longstanding. Hell, it wasn't like his mother was sitting by his father's bedside, holding his hand and crying herself to sleep as his father's health declined. It was as simple as that. That was all Kirk knew. If George Kirk had _passed…_ maybe…just maybe…it would have given Jim enough time to meet his father. It would have allowed Jim to see what the famous George Kirk really looked like rather than what he looked like in a digitized image on a screen. Winona, Jim's mother, always said he had his father's eyes. Jim wanted to see if it was _actually_ true.

In class, Jim felt he had managed to successfully project the image that DePree's comment hadn't bothered him at all. From his experience, he learned there was nothing that a little wink and a smile couldn't fix. But, deep down, Jim knew his practiced wink and smile couldn't remedy what troubled him within. Whenever someone mentioned his father, it managed to stir certain feelings inside of him. It was his weak spot. His very own Achilles' heel. But, of course, Jim would never admit it to anyone.

Whenever someone discussed George Kirk in front of Jim, Jim managed to brush the statements off like dirt off his shoulder. _It didn't matter,_ Jim would tell himself. _Why should I care so much about someone I never even met?_

However, as Jim was no longer in Iowa, it was more difficult to keep himself composed. The mix of a new environment surrounded by people who had at least heard the name George Kirk made things more difficult for Jim. He couldn't play off the comments that people made about his father for four years straight. He had the potential to absolutely lose it and possibly get into a fight with one of his classmates as if he was back on the grade school playground.

Now, in San Franscisco, he was living in George Kirk's shadow more than ever. And, frankly, Jim didn't know much about the day his father died. All he knew was the fact that his father went down with his ship like a Captain was supposed to. But, George Kirk wasn't necessarily a Captain long enough to call the U.S.S. Kelvin his own. And, more importantly, George Kirk wasn't necessarily a Captain long enough to commit suicide and get himself killed in the meantime. And, of course, Jim knew that his father just so happened to die on his new born son's birthday. For the rest of his life, Jim would be haunted by his father's death like an albatross around his neck.

Throughout Jim's childhood, his mother, Winona, remained tight lipped about what happened on January 4, 2233. If Winona attempted to discuss the day, she would burst into tears. Jim didn't even bother to ask Frank, his step-father, what had happened to his father. Jim didn't ask Frank because Jim feared that instead of getting an explanation he would be getting a beating instead. Jim also couldn't ask his older brother Sam about what happened as his brother knew just as much about their father's death as Jim did in himself. There was simply no use in Jim asking questions about the past when his present seemed to be stagnate and unchangeable. Nothing could change what happened and Jim had thought he was fine with not knowing. But, now, Jim wasn't so sure anymore.

Jim prepped to throw another stone at the water in hopes that it would finally skip along the surface. Without delay, the stone was absorbed by the water leaving several ripples in its wake. Jim huffed and threw three rocks at the water not making any gesture to have the rocks skip. Expectantly, the rocks plopped through the water. Although the rocks fell through the water as expected, Jim felt unsatisfied from throwing the stones in such a way. His mind returned back to DePree's comment.

Essentially, Jim didn't like to talk about his father. And, he definitely didn't like it when other people mentioned George Kirk in conversation. In Jim's view, no one had the right to talk about his father. They didn't know George Kirk and they didn't know Jim. They were only making statements in complete ignorance. Sure, DePree may have meant well, but she put Jim on the spot in front of all of his other classmates. Now, they all definitely knew who Jim was as well as his lineage.

However, it was only until recently, Jim felt he had actually met someone who _did_ have the right to talk about his father. And, that man was Captain Christopher Pike.

In the beginning, Jim wasn't sure what to make of the aging Starfleet Captain. After Jim had gotten himself in a good old fashion bar fight with several Starfleet cadets, Pike with a shockingly loud whistle called off the red hounds, putting an end to the brawl. When the fight came to a dramatic close, Jim expected the man to leave. Rather, the man stuck around. Pike sat at the same table with Jim, bought him a couple of drinks and made moves to converse. It was an encounter Jim didn't expect to gain anything from like two ships passing in the night.

Halfway through, the conversation seemed to be light and easy. It was light and easy right up to the point when Pike mentioned Jim's father. The conversation was a little harder to tolerate when George Kirk came into the discussion. For a while, Jim had done his best to appear apathetic the first time Pike mentioned George Kirk. But, then Pike mentioned George Kirk again causing Kirk to lose his resolve.

 _"_ _Look…so your dad dies you can settle for a less than ordinary life or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special?"_

 _A small silence hovered between them enabling Jim to think about the words Pike spoke. He had a chance to respond, but chose not to. Easily giving himself the opportunity to shoot Pike down._

 _"_ _Enlist in Starfleet." Pike said, surprising Jim in the process._

 _"'_ _Enlist'?" Pike's suggestion invoked a laugh from Jim. Maybe he had lost too much blood, but Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing. Pike was proposing the most ridiculous thing Jim had heard that day and possibly his entire life. "'Enlist in Starfleet'?" Pike had to be joking. If Jim had a drink in hand he would have ejected the remnants of liquid from his mouth, letting it erupt all over the table and floor. "You guys must be way down your recruiting quota for the month," Jim replied, inhaling the remaining blood that dripped from his nose._

 _Jim decided early on that he would never become a part of Starfleet. Every time Jim saw propaganda posters for the organization, he scoffed and walked away. He always thought that the promises of exploration in deep space were a bit overrated. Plus, Starfleet managed to cause Jim enough pain in his life. Pain that was both emotional and physical. Speaking of physical pain, Jim's face was aching all over, if getting punched in the face by a Starfleet recruit was the Federations' new recruitment strategy, it certainly wasn't a good form of persuasion._

 _"_ _If you're half the man your_ father _was…" Pike mentioned George Kirk again, causing Jim to abandon any sarcastic comments he brooded over. His father was his weak spot. Jim licked his lips to ease the throbbing sensation. The taste of metal was strong on his tongue._

 _Pike continued to speak, "Starfleet could use you. You can be an officer in four years. You can have your own ship in eight."_

 _From Jim's point of view, the man seemed bent on convincing Jim the value of Starfleet. Jim kept his mouth shut, closing his eyes for a second, hoping that when he opened them he'd be somewhere else. Talking to a Starfleet recruiter was not at all how Jim thought his night would go. The whole point to coming to this bar in the first place was to get drunk and hook up with...if not a beautiful woman…a decent looking one at the very least. If Jim hadn't gotten interrupted by that apelike cadet, he knew he would have gotten somewhere with that cadet named 'Uhura'. And, by 'somewhere', Jim hoped that it would be a motel room where he would finally know her full name and be granted a lesson in Xenolinguistics. Now, after taking several punches to the face, Jim was tired. He wanted to rest. He didn't want to think about his dead father. He didn't want to think about anything. Nonetheless, when he opened his eyes he was still in the same bar with the same old man sitting in front of him. But, it seemed like he didn't have a choice in the matter as the man named 'Captain Pike' continued to speak._

 _"_ _You understand what the Federation is, don't you? It's important." Pike said in a tone that could be misconstrued as condescending rather than encouraging._

 _Now, Jim felt as if Pike was talking down to him._ Of course _, he knew what the Federation was. He saw the recruitment posters and heard the calls to enlist over the radio. He wasn't an idiot. And, because he wasn't an idiot that was why he didn't want to enlist. The Federation might as well have been what killed his father, tearing Jim's family and future apart._

 _"_ _It's a peace keeping and humanitarian armada-"_

 _"_ _Are we done?" Jim said, cutting Pike off, and glaring at the old man through droopy eyelids. Jim didn't care about Starfleet. Jim didn't care about the Federation. And, he sure as Hell didn't care about his dead father. As far as Jim was concerned he didn't have a father. Jim's 'step-father' Frank sure as Hell was no father to Jim. Jim only cared about himself. That was the only person he could depend on. No one else._

 _"_ _I'm done." Pike relented, seeing that Kirk's patience was growing thin. The man made moves to leave._

Good _, Jim thought before consuming another glass of alcohol. He needed the substance to drown out whatever Pike had said._

 _Kirk was destined for greatness, Pike could feel it. But, if Kirk didn't want to listen there wasn't much he could do. What was the saying that his daughter used more often than not? "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." Pike couldn't think of a metaphor that was more perfect for this situation. However, as popular as the saying was, Pike wanted Kirk to enlist. In evidently, Kirk's repeat offenses made him look like an undesirable candidate. Be that as it may, his high aptitude scores outweighed any concern Pike may have had about the kid's intelligence. Felicity would give him an earful as soon as she found out what Pike had been doing tonight. But, hopefully, she would already be asleep by the time he got back to the hotel. Pike had his fingers crossed._

 _"_ _Riverside shipyard. Shuttle for new recruit's leaves tomorrow at 0800," Pike said, standing._

 _Kirk raised his glass to serve as a wave of goodbye, acting as if he was happy to see Pike go._

 _Pike pursed his lips together at the sight of Kirk's indignant attitude. It appeared as if Pike needed more than just altruism to convince Kirk to enlist. Pike needed to stroke Kirk's self-interest. If there was anything Kirk's bar brawl told Pike it was the fact that Kirk liked a challenge._ But, what could that challenge be? _Pike wondered. He then remembered pivotal information from his dissertation. Why didn't he mention it before?_

 _"_ _You know your father was Captain of a starship for 12 minutes," Pike began, watching Kirk's expression. "He saved eight hundred lives including your mother's. And, yours."_

 _Jim blinked, looking into blank space. He didn't know. Jim didn't know his father accomplished so much in so little time. He didn't know his father sacrificed himself out of nobility. No one had ever told Jim the absolute significance of his father's death. His mother kept it hidden from him and so did his step-father. How could Jim have possibly thought so little about his father? Jim felt so ashamed. If his father could see him now, what would he think of the son he sacrificed his life for? George Kirk was a hero and his son was the town drunk._

 _Pike was smiling in the inside, seeing that he caused something to spur within Kirk. His concluding method of persuasion was working and now he knew exactly what to do for the final push. "I_ dare _you to do_ better _," Pike said effortlessly before leaving the bar, enabling Jim the choice to take up the challenge he had just wagered._

Jim didn't _have_ to take up Pike's challenge. But, he did so anyway. And, now, he found himself in a secluded area outside of Starfleet throwing rocks at the water of the San Francisco Bay. Jim promised himself that the stone he had in his hand would be the last rock he threw. For his final throw, Jim made sure to pick up a stone that was smooth and flat. A stone the color of honey had caught his eye and fortunately it was the perfect size and shape. The stone had a good chance of succeeding.

As Jim put himself into position for his final throw, Jim thought about the other reason apart from Pike's dare that motivated him to enlist. That other reason was the fact that Jim wanted to discover more about his father. He wanted to get all the information he could to compensate for all the information his mother and Frank disdained to tell him as a little boy. But, most importantly, Jim wanted to find out how and why his father died. He wanted to know the circumstances of his death. If Jim found out, he could finally get closure and be…if not better…just as good of a man as his father.

Despite Jim's motivations to discover more about George Kirk, he wasn't sure where to look first. He wanted the information fast and he wanted information that was relevant. He needed someone trustworthy enough to help him find the information and he needed someone who was kind enough to not pass judgement.

Suddenly, Jim remembered a particular brunette with honey colored eyes. Although, she wasn't exactly a history major she most definitely knew her way around archival materials. Her book on Greek mythology said it all. Also, in Astronomy, she seemed like the only person that wasn't judging Jim. Her eyes didn't stay on him too long like the rest of the class. And, when he first introduced himself to her, she didn't seem surprised at all about who he was. She treated him somewhat normally despite the fact he was dressed in nothing but a towel. But, when he was dressed, she asked about the bruises on his face from his bar fight in Iowa. She was a kind person, Jim could tell.

As he was distracted by his memory of the brunette, he forgot entirely about the stone he had thrown to the water. In perfect motion, the honey colored stone skipped across the surface three times wrinkling the water's exterior. But, Jim didn't care about skipping rocks anymore. He cared about finding the cute little brunette who was over prepared for Astronomy class. He needed to find her. He needed to find Felicity.

A/N

Dear Readers,

I just want to say thanks for taking the time to read, follow, and favorite this story. Receiving notifications that people actually enjoy what I write really makes me happy and encourages me to write more. So, thank you very much!

Again, feel free to leave a review or message me for constructive criticism/feedback.

Sincerely,

Angela


	10. A Rocky Start and an Unexpected Surprise

"Melvil Dewey, you are a thorn in my side," Felicity grumbled as she squinted at the various books stacked on the shelf in front of her. Oddly enough, Felicity was having trouble finding a particular book. The book she was looking for was a biography on Cleopatra VII, the last Queen of Egypt, who in reality was actually Cleopatra VI. As it turns out, the Egyptians had lost count of all the Cleopatras that sat on the Egyptian throne. So, in reality, Cleopatra was actually the sixth to reign. Just like the Egyptians, Felicity was having her own dilemma with numbers. And, it was all because of Melvil Dewey. Melvil Dewey was responsible for developing the Dewey Decimal System, a general knowledge organization tool that is primarily used to classify books. Centuries past its founding, the Dewey Decimal system was still being used. And, as a result of its usage, the system was frustrating Felicity in the meantime.

All Felicity wanted was to read a biography on Cleopatra. Sadly, the Dewey Decimal system was making things difficult for her. Normally, Felicity had no trouble finding the books she wanted from the library. But, tonight she was having issues. After all the times she had looked at the call number for the book from the research database, she had unintentionally memorized it. DT92.7.S35 2010 was the number that she had unwillingly took in. The database had to be lying to her. It stated the book was in stock but yet she had no luck finding the call number on the shelf that matched. After leaving her Egyptology class, Felicity craved to learn more about the woman that ruled a nation, enchanted both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and made a name for herself in the history books.

Felicity's professor had told her entire class how Cleopatra and Julius Caesar were trapped behind constructed barricades in the city of Alexandria for six months due to the threat imposed by Cleopatra's brother Ptolemy's surrounding armies. Felicity was taken by the fact that Cleopatra was capable of developing an intimate relationship with one of the greatest men the world had ever seen. He conquered lands and vast territories. And, Cleopatra a girl of twenty had been able to conquer him, a man of fifty two. In consequence, Caesar had done so much for her. Julius Caesar eliminated all of her rivals so she could sit on the throne of Egypt. Felicity strongly believed that only a strong and intelligent woman could participate in such a deed. Secretly, Cleopatra was someone Felicity yearned to be. Obviously, Felicity and Cleopatra had contrasting lives. Felicity never ruled a country and would most likely never have the opportunity to. Felicity was just a girl who liked to go to the library although right now she was having no luck in finding a book she wanted. Felicity's eyes became very dry from staring at the shelf for too long. She blinked several times and rubbed them to ease their fatigue. _Maybe I should just forget it and leave,_ she thought. _It's getting late anyway._

Suddenly, fed up with her search, Felicity grabbed an armful of books from the shelf in front of her. She came to the conclusion that her biography had to at least be one of the books she had in her arms. Felicity was keen on finding the book even if it meant going through each individual book in the Egyptology section. She'd finally be satisfied when she found it. However, no matter how persistent she was in her search, she needed to keep the books in the same order she found them in. That meant she needed to keep them in the correct order based on Melvil Dewey's system. If Felicity wasn't careful walking back to her desk, all the books could slip out of her hold and fall to the floor. The blunder would make Felicity's night a whole lot worse as she'd be forced to organize them one by one, taking her all night. Felicity walked slowly to her desk _. I can make it_ , Felicity thought, balancing the books in her hands _. I'm almost there_. All she needed to do was take one more step. One more step to her desk was all she needed. All she needed was…one…more…single…step.

"Felicity!" announced a boyish voice.

And, with that unexpected address, Felicity's collection of books tumbled out of her hands. Presumably, a fine mess of books formed on the library's carpeted floor. "Damn it," Felicity cursed, throwing her head in her hands. In this moment, everything seemed utterly hopeless to her. Hastily, she fell to her knees to gather the books from the ground. The books were now more of a priority than ever. She didn't want a librarian to emerge from behind the shelves and chastise her for her recklessness. Felicity started to reach for the fallen volumes when suddenly another hand appeared before her, grabbing the first book she attempted to reach. _Who in the name?_ Felicity conjectured, moving her eyes to identify the unnamed person.

"Jim?" Felicity said with disbelief, seeing the dirty blonde on the floor in front of her.

"Sorry," Jim said apologetically, reaching quickly for the fallen books. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Felicity avoided his eyes, "You didn't _scare_ me." Felicity denied the idea that she was scared. She didn't want to lose her resolve, no matter how little of it she had. "You just _surprised_ me that's all, "she insisted, tucking in an escaped strand of hair from her ponytail.

Jim raised a lone eyebrow at her. He knew very well that he did more than "surprise her." The books on the floor told Jim everything he needed to know. If she was trying to lie, Felicity wasn't doing a very good job of it. He took a guess that she didn't lie very much.

"Okay," he said, giving her some leniency. He continued to collect Felicity's fallen books, "If you say I surprised you then I surprised you." He then gathered the books in his arms effortlessly. He did not struggle in placing them on the table the same way Felicity did. He had no trouble at all.

Felicity sulked on the floor. She resented how easy it was for him to carry all of her books when she had every bit of trouble. _Damn his long arms_ , she mused before picking herself off the floor. She rubbed her bare knees, realizing they ached from their clash with the carpet. If she had worn pants instead of a skirt her knees would have fared better from her tumble to the floor. There was a risk in wearing skirts.

"Cleopatra huh?" Jim asked, holding up a single book.

Felicity huffed and walked over to Jim, taking the book from his hands the same way she would take a toy from a misbehaving child. She hadn't forgotten about him "surprising her" and making her drop all her books. Felicity glanced at the book she confiscated from Jim, coincidently it was the biography she had a difficult time searching for. She bit the inside of her cheek, _Why were things so easy for him while they were more than difficult for her?_ She rolled her eyes and put her biography to the side. Why was he in the library anyway?

"Jim," An irritated Felicity said, "is there something I can help you with?"

"Uh," he began to rub the back of his neck with his hand. "Well…actually there is something I wanted to ask you," he said, biting his bottom lip.

Felicity's irritation lessened as she noticed Jim's reluctant manner. He was acting differently than his usual cocky self. He wasn't smiling or smirking. His expression was almost dejected just like it was hours ago. _Something was definitely wrong._ Felicity immediately remembered what occurred in Astronomy class. Something had troubled him then.

"All right," she said in a calm manner, "what is it?"

He began to shuffle his feet, "I need help."

 _Help?_ Felicity wondered, folding her arms and observing him closely, "With what exactly?"

He pulled his uniform collar, it was beginning to irritate the skin on his neck. She could tell that he was struggling to tell her what he wanted. She could have walked away and ignored him as he was taking longer than necessary to tell her what was on his mind. But, she didn't walk away. She wasn't cruel that way. Her father taught her better than to be cruel when someone was attempting to open up to her.

"You remember how DePree mentioned my father in class today?"

"Yes…," she said. She remembered how DePree mentioned George Kirk for only a brief moment while the entire class looked at Jim as if he was the newest exhibit on display at the San Francisco Zoo. Felicity knew his father was a sensitive topic for him. She didn't think he would ever want to discuss it with anyone, let alone her.

Jim turned to look at the surrounding bookshelves with hands in pockets, "I wanted to do research."

Her brown eyes looked at him warmly, "On what?"

Jim hesitated in answering her question. He sighed, feeling as though he'd finally be able to get something off of his chest. He looked at her apprehensively, "The day he died."

 _Oh,_ Felicity thought to herself. No wonder he was being so reluctant in speaking to her. Just like her mother was a tender topic for Felicity, George Kirk was a tender topic for Jim. She needed to take his request for help seriously, but, at the same time, she was flattered he felt comfortable enough to talk to her about something so delicate. Felicity would do everything she could to help him. Jim didn't even need to ask twice.

Felicity gave him a reassuring and soft smile, "I can definitely help you, Jim. I actually know exactly where to look."

Felicity brought Jim up to the third level of the library. After spending a majority of her childhood on the academy grounds, Felicity knew exactly where to look for information regarding past Starfleet missions. And, that particular information was on the third floor in a large circular shaped room with shelves of Starfleet records inserted within the white walls. She was always curious about what her father and others experienced during their five year mission. Going to the third floor allowed her to understand the obstacles her father faced while in deep confines of space. She hoped to be closer to her father as a result.

"If you want to know anything about past Starfleet missions this is the place to go. This room has everything ranging from Captain's Logs, Ship Schematics, Officer Dissertations, firsthand accounts of first contact, discoveries of new planets and etcetera. But, this is relatively small compared to all the data that is still classified. Starfleet is very picky about which information gets out to the public so adversaries of the Federation cannot use it against us. Which is a bit sad because top secret information tends to always be more interesting. Anyways, if you want to get certain information about a mission it is always good to know the star date, ship name, and ship captain and any key officers involved. Knowing that information will make your search a lot easier."

Felicity walked over to the center of the room where a large touch table computer was situated. Her fingers worked their way on the computer screen, a beeping noise accompanied Felicity's movements. She logged in relevant data for her search, "So for the incident with the U.S.S. Kelvin, the key words we need are 'star date 2233', obviously the ship is the 'U.S.S. Kelvin', and if my memory serves me right the Captain was 'Robau' and of course George Kirk served as first officer." As a result of Felicity entering in the pertinent information, a panel on the wall opened revealing a shelf loaded with mini compact discs, physical folders and various other materials. Felicity was relieved her search was successful. It fared a lot better than what she attempted to do earlier that night. "There. That's the one you want."

Felicity turned to Jim, seeing him staring at her with both of his eyebrows raised. She realized she may have thrown information at him rather than actually help, "Sorry," she quickly said, feeling her cheeks flush. Honestly, she had practically just given him a lecture on how to search for archival materials. She may have just given him more information than he knew what do with. "I understand if me babbling on and on about this stuff is a bit overwhelming…" she tucked another loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Actually," he began, blinking several times to relieve his shock, "it's more impressive than overwhelming," he finished with a chuckle.

A half smile formed on her lips relieved she hadn't embarrassed herself too much. She was also happy that he hadn't thought badly of her. "Okay," she said, bringing her attention back to the shelf that revealed itself from the wall. She rubbed her hands together, "Where to start?"

She walked to the shelf and tapped her chin, _What is the best source of information I can get my hands on?_ There was so much information here. She doubted Jim had all the time in the world to go through everything and neither did she.

Felicity went to a box on the shelf labeled "S.S." for secondary sources. The box held physical documents and recordings that presented an analysis of the event that occurred in 2233 on the U.S.S. Kelvin. Jim wanted an explanation of what happened that day, Felicity needed to grab the best source of information that could do the job. Felicity flipped through the files with her fingers. She then caught a glimpse of gold initials engraved on the top of a black manila folder. The initials were "C.P.", evidently Felicity knew exactly who "C.P." was. She paused for a moment before alerting Jim of what she found. In her opinion, her father's dissertation on the U.S.S. Kelvin was truly one of the best things her father had actually written. He was very thorough about what had occurred that day even pulling in flight recordings to support his analysis. But, she was reluctant to hand it off to Jim. She was afraid that she was making her connection to Christopher Pike quite obvious, especially if she began to toot her father's own horn. How egotistical would that make her look?

"Did you find something?" Jim said, with a hopeful expression.

"Uh…" Felicity said, looking back and forth between Jim and what she found in the box. Despite her hesitancy, she had to do what was right. Jim wanted answers. And, she could give them to him. She needed to push her selfishness to the side.

"I think this will give you everything you want to know," she said, handing Jim, her father's dissertation.

"Thanks," Jim retrieved the folder from Felicity. Upon retrieving it, he flipped through the pages, seeing a familiar name appear on the title page. He laughed, of course it just had to be _him_.

"What's so funny?" Felicity inquired, concerned as to why Jim was so amused. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting to get.

"Nothing," he said with a half-smile. "Pike was actually the person that persuaded me to enlist. He even mentioned his dissertation during our conversation. I guess its only fate that I read it too."

 _You could say that_ , Felicity thought. These past few days, fate seemed to hover around Felicity like a rain cloud. And, she was without an umbrella. "Anyways it's actually a very good read," Felicity went on to say.

"You've read it?"

"Yup," Felicity said, biting the inside of her cheek. "I've looked at it a couple of times."

"A couple of times" was an understatement. She had read her father's dissertation almost twenty times front and back. She had difficulty putting it down when her father first published it. Felicity was the definition of a doting daughter.

"Pike was able to go into depth about what happened January 3, 2233. He includes the schematics of the U.S.S. Kelvin showcasing the areas that were most damaged during the attack. He also lists the names of the entire crew as well as any other passengers that were on at the time of destruction. Pike even goes out of his way to list…your name Jim."

Jim paused, only now grasping the full significance of what he was about to read. He was getting the answers he so desperately wanted. His mouth formed into a small smile. "Thanks, Felicity," he said sincerely.

His smile made her heart flutter, she was glad she had made him happy. "You're welcome."

A small silence came between them before Jim had decided to say his farewell for the night, "Well, I guess I will be seeing you in Astronomy." He gave her smile before turning to make his way out of the room.

She gripped the locket of her mother's necklace, watching him walk away, "See you too, Jim."

At first, using the name he wanted her to use for him was strange. Now, it seemed anything but strange. It felt natural for her to direct him as "Jim" rather than "Kirk." She didn't think there relationship would ever be so casual.

Felicity was checking to see if everything was in order on the shelf that came out of the white wall. Felicity hadn't realized that Kirk was still in the room until she saw him out of the corner of her eye, standing at the door and tapping his foot.

"Are you having trouble with something?" she joked, pressing "close" on the computer screen to enable the shelf to go back into the wall.

"Uh…yeah…" he said, pushing his hands into the door several times.

"What seems to be the problem, Jim?" she asked, eyes still locked on the computer screen, checking to see what other shelves could be of any further interest to her.

After a rocky start, Felicity felt her night ended on a high note. She didn't think she would have any further problems for the rest of the night. Which is why what Jim said to her next was more than an unexpected surprise.

"Felicity, the door is locked."

*A/N*

Again just wanted to say thanks for reading. I really appreciate all of the positive comments I have received especially from readers who have been in consistent in leaving a comment for my story. To name a few of those lovely readers, they are: TheUltimateBibliophile, ImsebastianstanButter, The Lupine Sojourner, NoVacancyMind, JaneyKatherineHummingbird, and Frosted Dreams 1234.

Thanks again for the reads, the follows and the favorites!

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Angela

*UPDATED AUTHORS NOTE on 1/22/2018*

Hello everyone! I just wanted to update my readers on the status of this story and of myself. A week ago, I began school again so unfortunately I will be lackluster in updates for quite some time as I have a lot on my plate thanks to course assignments and a busy class schedule. I'm still working and writing this story so please don't fret that I have lost interest in updating. I'm just trapped in my school life just like Felicity and Jim are trapped in the library and like them I'm trying to find the best way out.

Thanks,

Angela


	11. The last word he ever says

When Felicity fell from a tree at the age of fourteen, twisted her ankle and earned several scrapes, she didn't panic. Starfleet cadets weren't supposed to panic. Cadets were supposed to handle themselves in stressful situations. That was what Felicity was raised to believe.

 _This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening!_ Felicity repeated throughout her frazzled mind, as she rushed back and forth in the medium-sized room.

Now, unfortunately, wasn't one of those times.

As Felicity paced, Jim in the meantime, sat on the floor with his legs casually flung out. He watched the small brunette move above him. Jim thought she moved in a way that bared similarity to a fast-moving pendulum on a string. He felt himself becoming cross-eyed. He shut his eyes and shook his head. She was making him dizzy. Perhaps it would be best for both of them if she just relaxed.

"Felicity," he said trying to sound convincing, "Why don't you sit down?"

They had been locked in the Starfleet collections room for more than twenty minutes. Out of all the times Felicity had been to the library, she had never been locked in. She knew that the library closed at 2300 hours on Monday nights but she must have lost track of time during her search for her Cleopatra biography. She never intended to stay in the library for so long, but she had managed to let herself get lost in the Egyptology publications. And, then, of course, Jim had shown up to ask her for help. That was when she really lost track of time. Cadets rarely went to this section of the library at the start of the semester, so it probably didn't cross the librarians' minds to see if anyone was on the third level. In consequence, they had chosen to lock down the library from their security consoles and call it a night. Unfortunately, two freshmen cadets were stuck in the library and would remain there for the rest of the night. As far as Felicity knew, there was no way out. But, she was trying to think of a way out nonetheless.

Felicity kept with her movements as she spoke, "Jim, there is no time for sitting. We have to get out of here. I need to get out of here."

"Believe me, Felicity. I understand that," she heard him say. Jim then spoke under his breath, "No one understands that more than me."

Jim ran his hand through his hair, "But, how are we going to get out of here, Felicity? By you making a hole in the floor from all of your pacing?" he joshed, trying to use humor to persuade her.

Felicity turned her head, fixing her eyes on him, granting him a fierce and icy glare. She was not in the mood for jokes. Jim's stomach suddenly turned. He didn't want to see that look again.

In Iowa, Jim had enough experience settling down in places he had no choice in being in. Mostly, he had spent many a night in the local county jail. Additionally, he was used to sleeping in the most unlikely of places. However, a bale of hay was more comfortable and a lot warmer than the Collection's room carpet and wall. At least, this time, he wasn't alone. He had a small brunette to keep him company. Although, right now, she was a bit on edge because of their circumstances. In truth, Jim found her even a little bit scary.

"Look," he swallowed a lump in his throat he hadn't realized was there, to begin with, "all I'm trying to say is there is no point in tiring yourself out-"

"I am not tiring myself out," Felicity denied. Pacing was what she did when she was stressed. It was her nervous tick. "I'm thinking," she professed.

Jim's brows creased, now he knew what that young lieutenant felt trying to get McCoy to sit down on the shuttle yesterday morning. "Sit down or I'll make you sit down" was what the Lieutenant had said. Jim thought about doing the same thing for Felicity. He could easily make his voice a little sterner. He also was much bigger than her. He could drag her to the floor. But, frankly, that was a little too aggressive. He needed a much more relaxed form of persuasion. Being gentle with her seemed like the best way to go.

"Felicity," he said with ease, picking himself off the ground, "look at me."

She began to mumble to herself not even noticing Jim's movements. She was acting the same way she did two nights ago when her father hadn't come back to the hotel when he said he would. He had left her alone again. Just like when she was a little girl. Her thoughts grew evermore frantic. _There had to be a way out. There just had to be. I can't be alone anymore._ Felicity continued to discern. _Something needed to be done. Something. Anything. Please, get me out!_

Felicity then felt a stern grip on her shoulders, pulling her backward. Immediately, she was spun in the opposite direction having the room revolve around her. She then felt a soft grasp of her chin causing her to look up. Once again, she was met with a familiar pair of blue eyes. Her mind was at a pause. Her frantic thoughts were lost. She had forgotten that he was there _too_.

"Felicity…" Jim began.

Felicity blinked several times. She received a closer look of his bruises, seeing how they evolved into darker shades of purple. They were different from the way they looked the night before. She wanted to trace them with her fingertips.

Jim continued to speak in almost a whisper, "You—need—to—take—it- easy." He squeezed her shoulders gently, bringing her back to reality. Her breathing slowed and her heartbeat eased. Jim managed to calm her down. She would have to thank him later. But, as far they both knew, they were still in a problematic situation. They needed to find a way out.

Shaking her head to remove herself from his trance, Felicity said, "But, Jim we're not going to find a way out by sitting-"

Suddenly, the lights in the room gave out save for the emergency lights that remained, "down." she finished despairingly. He looked at her with an expression of amusement. She wanted to rub that expression off his face. "You were saying?" he said with hands still on her shoulders. Jim wasn't the only one telling her to calm down. The room itself was also telling her to relax. Felicity twisted her mouth, forming a crease in her cheek. Jim had won this battle.

He then pulled his hands away from her shoulders, gesturing to the area of the floor he originally sat, "Now, will you sit?"

Felicity bit her bottom lip, she nodded hesitantly. Jim then turned around and took several steps towards his spot on the carpet. He expected to see Felicity's small red frame move in front of him. Instead, he heard some shuffling occur a small distance behind him.

When he turned around, Felicity was settling herself in the area across from where Jim had previously sat. _I should have expected that_ , Jim realized.

On more than one occasion, he tended to push some women the wrong way when he just so happened to say or do the wrong thing. But, as a result of his good looks and charming smile, they usually came around. It shouldn't be so hard with Felicity, he glanced back towards her, seeing what he could of her feminine features, and she was a woman too after all. _She would come around eventually._

Now, she sat across from him with her legs folded to the side and her head in her hands. She was clearly still contemplating their situation. Frankly, Jim did not understand why it was such a big deal that they were locked in the library. They just had to wait till morning for library staff to unlock the door. That was the worst case scenario.

In all of his twenty years, he had never met any girl quite like her. At first, he found her…what was the word? Cute. Now, she wasn't just cute anymore. He found her extremely literate, focused, studious and intelligent. Simultaneously, she was also timid and insecure. Felicity Clarke was definitely a character. He didn't regret meeting her that was for sure.

Briefly, he saw that she was rubbing her bare arms, and keeping her legs firmly tucked to her chest. She was shuffling every now and then to continue the action. He noticed the room wasn't as warm as it was minutes ago. _She must be cold._

Jim tugged on the zipper down the front of his uniform, Felicity's eyes widened in shock. Her stomach tossed and turned, she wasn't that type of girl. "What are you doing?" she questioned with tenseness in her voice.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked innocently as if he was doing nothing out of the ordinary.

She turned her body more to the side, "No," she lied through closed lips.

Jim perked an eyebrow at her. _Of course, you're not_ , he thought sarcastically. 'Difficult' could be added to the list of words to describe Felicity. But, despite her protests, Jim continued to pull down the zipper of his uniform top.

Without intending to, Felicity's eyes followed the route of his zipper. Instead of revealing the white skin of his chest she saw the night before, he revealed a black shirt hidden beneath. Ruefully, a feeling of disappointment washed over Felicity. Whether she wanted to or not, there was a small part of her that was attracted to him. Felicity was almost sure that it was a just a small passing fancy. So, if she just happened to have any "feelings" for Jim they would surely go away and be forgotten. And, no one would be able to find out about them. No one. Not even Jim.

As he walked closer to her, she looked away, trying to hide the blush that came to her cheeks.

Without saying a word, Jim gently laid his jacket over her shoulders. He didn't linger too long. He just draped the clothing over her shoulders and walked back over to his spot situated across from her. He didn't try anything that Felicity would define as 'funny" which to Felicity meant that he didn't try to put a move on her. Felicity felt a warmth envelope her stomach. _Thanks,_ she wanted to say.

He sat back with legs strewn out and hands behind his head while she sat with legs tucked to the side and hands in her lap. From their positions, one could very much see how different they were in their personalities. He was more laid back while she was more tightly put together. If someone were to walk in on them right now, no one would assume they were a couple. But, on the other hand, if someone were to walk in on them both Jim and Felicity would be more than willing to leave the room at the same time as if they were a couple. A sound of silence began to creep up into the room. They seemed to have a knack for letting a silence hover between the two of them. He had gotten what he wanted from her. He got the information he needed. There wasn't more for them to say. Was there?

As if a light bulb had been switched on, a peculiar inquiry popped into her head. Felicity knew for a fact that she hadn't told Jim where she was. After all, it was a surprise that he had shown up in the library. The books she dropped on the floor said it all. "How'd you know where to find me?" Felicity asked, tugging Jim's jacket over her shoulders.

Jim removed his hands from the back of his head and sat straight up, looking back at her. "I stopped by your dorm. Asked your roommate. "

"Oh…"Felicity felt slightly disappointed. What was she expecting? Was she expecting an answer that was more romantic? Did she expect him to say it was because he felt they had a connection and he just knew? Jim didn't seem like the romantic type. Jim, so far, seemed more like the type that enjoyed a relationship where there were no strings attached. Scratch that, he _did_ enjoy no strings attached relationships. How could she think otherwise? Felicity blew a strand of hair out of her face, she guessed that he had done more than speak to Ariel when he stopped by the room. They probably picked up from where they left off last night. The room was probably in disarray. Felicity felt sick to her stomach. "Are you planning on seeing her again?" she disdained to ask.

"See who?"

Felicity looked at him sideways, "Ariel."

"'Ariel' who?"

Her roommate definitely didn't mean anything to him. "Ariel," Felicity rolled her eyes, "My roommate."

Jim's eyes opened wide, "Oh." Jim looked away somewhat embarrassed by his response.

Felicity twisted her lips, "I guess that is a 'no'."

Jim attempted to respond quickly in his own defense, "It's not like that…it's just. I…,"

"Jim," Felicity stopped him from speaking. "I'm not the one you have to explain things to."

Jim rubbed the nape of his neck. He was glad she cut him off. The truth was he didn't have a good excuse for not wanting to see her roommate again. He wasn't looking for anything serious. He just wanted some fun. He wanted a one night stand. And, he got that last night. He got the fun he had hoped to get prior to him getting his ass kicked from the night before. Jim flexed his jaw. His mouth was still slightly sore from the blow. He had seen the cadet that punched him on the shuttle yesterday morning. It must have bothered all four of the cadets to see him, the lowlife Iowan farm boy from the bar, join them on the same shuttle for Starfleet. Jim sighed, he had been a fool to think that he could sulk around in Iowa for the rest of his life. Now, he finally had a real purpose in life. " _I dare you to do better."_ The magic words Pike used to spark Jim's ambition replayed in his head. But, Jim suddenly began to doubt himself. What if he couldn't do better? Jim traced the outline of the folder in his hands. What if he couldn't live up to his father's legacy? Would that make him a failure? Would it make him more of a failure than he was already?

As he was lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Felicity's red frame making short jumps to the ceiling. Once he realized it, Jim frowned. To him, it looked like she was still going crazy over them being locked in the library. Too bad there weren't any sedatives for her to take. "You can never be still can you?" Jim asked with arms folded. She resembled a child trying to reach for a jar of cookies that was out of reach.

Felicity hadn't heard his remark as she was too busy trying to reach a certain point above her. "Jim," she panted somewhat tired from her jumps. Felicity looked back at him with honey brown eyes that suddenly had a fire ignited within them, "I think I found a way out."

* * *

Christopher Pike drummed his fingers against the wood of his desk. Stacked in front of him were piles upon piles of reports from five year missions. He had been reading for two hours before his eyes began to hurt from the strain of intense reading. He needed to hire an assistant. He was getting too old to read so many reports in a limited amount of time. He moved his eyes toward the digital clock on the wall. It was getting close to eleven o'clock. Maybe it was the perfect time for him to turn in for the night. His daughter would want him to get back home as early as possible. She would want him to have a good night's rest. He wasn't twenty-five years old anymore. He couldn't pull an all-nighter like he used to. But, his daughter wasn't at home was she? She wouldn't be waiting up for him tonight. She was trying to get her independence. She was trying to live on her own for once. At least, that is what she told him over breakfast this morning. His eyes turned to a picture of Felicity that he had on his desk. The picture was taken years ago. It was at a time when she sported pigtails and she barely had any front teeth. He hadn't spent too much time on planet to witness the growth of his daughter in person.

Unfortunately, there was a part of Christopher Pike that regretted not being there for his only child. He hoped that his daughter didn't resent him for it. Christopher had heard stories from his crewmen about sons and daughters that misbehaved back on Earth to gain much-needed attention from their off-planet parents. As far as Christopher knew, Felicity hadn't acted out too much while he was off world. However, Flora had told him of one incident in which Felicity was somewhat rebellious in school. It was a matter over cookies with two of Felicity's peers. But, essentially, the heart of the issue was more than just cookies. It was about Felicity's unrequited schoolgirl crush. When he heard about it, Christopher couldn't help but laugh. His little girl reminded him of himself when he was her age. He had his own innocent crush on a playmate in which affection wasn't returned. Christopher thought of Felicity's schoolyard affair as cute. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he wouldn't be able to protect his daughter from any boys who wanted to be more than friends with his daughter. Men were rats. He knew that for a fact. Because he was one after all. Luckily, nowadays, he was on planet to monitor her if anything were to go wrong. Yes, it was true she was an adult that could make her own decisions. Yet, his current concerns were to compensate for when he wasn't there for her. He wanted to be a good father. He hoped he could be one now. But, growing up, Felicity was more career-focused than boy crazy. She also didn't seem to change her priorities over the years. She would date when her career was taken care of. When the time came, Christopher was hopeful that she would choose the right man. She wouldn't choose someone that was a philanderer. She would end up with someone that was like her. An intelligent individual that went by the book. He was positive that would happen.

 _Crash!_

Abruptly, Christopher heard a loud deafening sound emerge from outside of his office. He immediately ran outside to investigate the situation. The hallway was barely lit and Christopher could barely see a thing. But, as soon as he went around the corner and discovered the cause of the crash, Christopher's eyesight could decipher what the lights failed to. But, it wasn't anything Christopher ever imagined seeing.

Christopher's hands balled up into fists, turning his knuckles pale white. A sickening feeling grew in his stomach. He wanted to vomit.

Laid on the ground in front of him was his daughter, Felicity Pike, with a pain-stricken face covered with the body of some unknown male dressed in a black shirt and red pants. Her brown hair was strewn out around her head and she was wincing in pain. One of the male's hands was gripping her hip while the other was placed above her head. His daughter was wincing in pain. So much anger enveloped within Christopher.

"Son," Christopher proclaimed with gritted teeth and an inflamed face. "Get your hands off my daughter!" demanded Christopher.

Immediately, Felicity's eyes burst open in recognition of her father's voice while Christopher's demand caused the male to turn his head towards him.

To Christopher's shock, the face of the unknown male belonged to his newest advisee, James Tiberius Kirk, of whom' s face was now a frightening shade of white before uttering what could very much be the last word he ever says, "Daughter?"

* * *

*Note from author*

Please leave reviews and constructive criticism.


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